The Black Sea becomes periodically isolated from the global ocean during each glacial period. This occurs when the elevation of the global ocean is lower than the Bosporus sill, putting a stop to inflow of salt water to the Black Sea. This phenomenon allows the Black Sea to evolve from a marine environment to a freshwater one. It is also evident that the depth of the Bosporus sill does not remain at the same elevation, and instead is dynamic. The sill becomes filled with sediments during periods of its sub-aerial exposure but is subsequently eroded to its bedrock during periods of outflow from the Black Sea-Lake to the global ocean. This interpretation comes from the observations that during the last glacial period, the Black Sea-Lake was in a positive... |