Six million years ago, a vast ocean—which scientists have named Tethys—vanished from the face of the earth.
Vanished Ocean
tells the fascinating story of Tethys, offering an illuminating account of the scientific evidence for the ocean's existence. World-renowned geologist and oceanographer Dorrik Stow describes the powerful forces that shaped the ocean; the marine life it once held and the rich deposits of oil that life left behind; and the impact of its currents on environment and climate. The story of Tethys is also a story of extraordinary episodes such as the virtual drying up of the Mediterranean, before being filled again by a dramatic cascade of water over the straits of Gibraltar. Along the way, Stow reveals how geologists and oceanographers spent years proving the former existence of Tethys, from a remarkable series of clues locked away in rocks now exposed high up in mountain ranges and buried in sediments deep beneath today's oceans. Indeed, these myriad clues are now scattered from the depths of the Caspian Sea to the highest Himalayan peaks.