Flood hypothesis Black Sea deluge hypothesis

black sea today (light blue) , in 5600 bc (dark blue) according ryan , pitman s hypothesis

in 1997, william ryan, walter pitman , colleagues published hypothesis massive flooding of black sea occurred 5600 bc through bosphorus. before date, glacial meltwater had turned black , caspian seas vast freshwater lakes draining aegean sea. glaciers retreated, of rivers emptying black sea declined in volume , changed course drain north sea. levels of lakes dropped through evaporation, while changes in worldwide hydrology caused overall sea level rise. rising mediterranean spilled on rocky sill @ bosphorus. event flooded 155,000 km (60,000 sq mi) of land , expanded black sea shoreline north , west. according researchers, 40 km (10 cu mi) of water poured through each day, 2 hundred times flow of niagara falls. bosphorus flume roared , surged @ full spate @ least 3 hundred days. archaeologists support theory explanation lack of neolithic period sites in northern turkey.