OPPapers.com Essay Index >> Science >> Mediterranean Sea
We have many free term papers and essays on Mediterranean Sea. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine.
Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean ... years. In just one year, 1.000.000 tons of
sewage has been dumped directly into the Mediterranean Sea. Also ...
... From 300 BCE to 600 CE, trade through the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean helped
unite Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and even parts of Europe while ...
... Ballard believes that about 7,500 years ago, melting glaciers elevated the depth
of the oceans, causing the Mediterranean Sea to rush inland through the ...
... The Mediterranean Sea has spawned many civilizations through history. ... Phoenicia is
an ancient region lying on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. ...
... Christianity Theodosius-Constantine's successor who banned pagan worship 3.
Bethlehem-South of Jerusalem, East of the Mediterranean Sea Jerusalem-North of ...
Submitted by chris_papad on May 9, 2007
Category: Science
Words: 736 | Pages: 3
Views: 136
Popularity Rank: 81,029
Average Member Grade: N/A (Add a Comment / Grade this Paper)
The Mediterranean Sea (35 degrees north, 18 degrees east) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. It covers an approximate area of 2.5 million km² (965,000 mi²), but its connection to the Atlantic (the Strait of Gibraltar) is only 14 km (9 mi) wide. In oceanography, it is sometimes called the Eurafrican Mediterranean Sea of the European Mediterranean Sea, to distinguish it from Mediterranean seas elsewhere.
The Mediterranean was once thought to be the remnant of the Tethys Ocean. It is now known to be a structurally younger ocean basin know as Neotethys. Neotethys formed during the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic rifting of the African and Eurasian plates.
Being nearly landlocked affects the Mediterranean Sea's properties; for instance, tides are very limited as a result of the narrow connection with the Atlantic Ocean. The Mediterranean is characterized and immediately recognized by its imposing deep blue color, especially around the Greek islands.
Evaporation greatly exceeds precipitation and river runoff in the Mediterranean, a fact that is central to the water circulation within the basin. Evaporation is especially high in its eastern half, causing the water level to decrease and salinity to increase eastward. This pressure gradient pushes relatively cool, low-salinity water from the Atlantic across the basin; it warms and becomes saltier as it travels east, then sinks in the region of the Levant and circulates westward, to spill over the Strait of Gibraltar. Thus, seawater flow is eastward in the Strait's surface waters, and westward below; once in the open ocean, this chemically-distinct "Mediterranean Intermediate Water" can persist thousands of kilometers away from its source.
The geology of the Mediterranean is complex, involving the break-up and then collision of the African and Eurasian plates, and the Messinian...
You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!