Caspian: a sea cut off from the ocean?

Exploration · Neogene

Caspian: a sea cut off from the ocean?

Starting point · 6 Ma

Around 5.5 million years ago, the Caspian basin, once part of the Paratethys, became separated from the Black Sea basin. Falling water levels are studied as a factor in severing connections between the basins. This was one stage in the Caspian’s formation: later rises reconnected it with the Black Sea.