The largest lake in Earths history is now in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Paratethysor Lake Paratethys, if you willand contained 10 times more water than all of Earths modern lakes.
In other words, its long overdue for its place in the Guinness Book.
Cliffs on the Black Sea are a reminder of the old scale of the Paratethys.Photo:Utrecht University
At its height, the Paratethys stretched from Austria in the west to Turkmenistan in the east.
The Paratethys existed about 11.6 million years ago.
The Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and Aral Sea are the major remnants of this awesome lake.
A graphic showing the animals and chemistry at work in the Paratethys.Graphic:Utrecht University
Our exploration of the Paratethys goes beyond mere curiosity.
By the same token, the sea can act as a carbon sink, storing greenhouse gases.
No way home, indeed.
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