Thanks to scientists from the Oceanographic Institute (IO) of the University of São Paulo (USP) who discovered the extent of the Paratethys megalake, the prehistoric body of water has just been added to the Guinness Book of Records as the largest lake of all time.
Researchers led by the Romanian Dan Valentin Palcu, a postdoctoral researcher at the IO/USP, were responsible for the great achievement. The team used a technique called magnetostratigraphy — which uses recording polarity reversals in the Earth's magnetic field in rocks as a dating tool — and digitized paleogeographic reconstructions to determine the size and volume of Paratethys.
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USP research on the world's largest lake makes it into the Guinness Book of Records
The team discovered the immense dimensions of the magnificent Paratethys, the largest lake to have ever existed on Earth and whose modern remains include the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and the Aral Seahttps://t.co/9uLEe5KoWF
— Ciência USP (@cienciausp) January 19, 2024
According to the study, at its peak about 10 million years ago, this lake was estimated to have covered an area of 2.8 million square kilometers slightly larger than today's Mediterranean Sea and had a volume of more than 1.77 million cubic kilometers of brackish water.
It was long believed that there was a prehistoric sea there, the Sarmatian Sea, but now we have clear evidence that for about five million years this sea became a lake isolated from the ocean and full of animals never seen before became. seen elsewhere around the world.
Dan Valentin Palcu, lead author of the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2021
The largest lake in history was home to the smallest whale of all time
Palco said in a statement that the Paratethys megalake was characterized by unique endemic fauna, including the Cetotherium riabinini the smallest whale ever found.
The study also reveals the turbulent history of Paratethys, which was marked by several hydrological crises and droughts. During the most severe crisis, the megalake lost more than two thirds of its surface and a third of its volume, and the water level fell by up to 250 meters. This had a devastating impact on wildlife and many species became extinct.
For Palcu, investigations go beyond mere curiosity. “They reveal an ecosystem that reacts extremely strongly to climate fluctuations. By studying the disasters suffered by this ancient megalake as a result of climate change, we gain valuable information that can shed light on possible ecological crises triggered by the climate change our planet is currently experiencing, particularly insights into the stability of toxic ones Water basins like the Black Sea.” .
The rocks formed during the crises of the Paratethys megalake became cliffs on the Black Sea coast, where their geological history has been preserved. Photo credit: Dan Valentin Palcu
He explains that the modern Black Sea reflects many environmental features of its ancient counterpart, the Paratethys. The depths of the Black Sea are largely devoid of vital oxygen and contain water rich in hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas harmful to both humans and most animal species.
In addition, its sediments contain “frozen” methane, an exceptionally powerful greenhouse gas that could enter the atmosphere in response to global warming, triggering numerous environmental disasters.
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Prevent future environmental disasters
Palcu emphasizes that unraveling the story of Paratethys is not only a journey into a tragic past, but also a glimmer of hope for the future. “The Black Sea has the potential to become one of the largest natural carbon storage regions on earth. Its stability is paramount to unlocking its capacity for future carbon storage initiatives and preventing future environmental disasters.”
The study was a collaboration between USP (Brazil), Utrecht University (Netherlands), Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), Senckenberg Center for Biodiversity and Climate Research (Germany), and University of Bucharest (Romania) and was funded by Fapesp.