Daniel Garcia-Castellanos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Garcia-Castellanos
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| Born | 1968 Kuwait City
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| Education | University of Barcelona |
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| Thesis | (1999) |
Daniel Garcia-Castellanos, born in 1968 in Kuwait, is a Spanish scientist. He works at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). He studies the Earth using physics, a field called geophysics. He is famous for his ideas about a huge flood that filled the Mediterranean Sea a long time ago. This event is known as the Zanclean flood.
He also studies how the Earth's surface changes. This includes how mountains and valleys form. These changes happen because of deep movements inside the Earth. They also happen because of things like erosion and climate on the surface.
Contents
The Mediterranean Sea's Big Flood
Daniel Garcia-Castellanos has done important research on the Mediterranean Sea. His studies suggest something amazing happened in the past.
When the Mediterranean Dried Up
Millions of years ago, the Mediterranean Sea was cut off from the world's oceans. This happened because the huge land plates of Africa and Eurasia slowly moved and crashed into each other. This event is part of plate tectonics. When the sea was cut off, it started to dry up. This period is called the Messinian salinity crisis. During this time, the Mediterranean Sea became very salty and much smaller.
The Zanclean Flood
Then, about 5 million years ago, something incredible happened. Water from the Atlantic Ocean rushed back into the Mediterranean Sea. This happened through the Strait of Gibraltar. It was a very fast and powerful event, like a giant waterfall. This huge refilling is what scientists call the Zanclean flood. Daniel Garcia-Castellanos's work helps us understand how this massive flood changed the Earth.
Awards and Current Work
In 1998, Daniel Garcia-Castellanos received the Garcia-Siñeriz Prize. He earned this award for his PhD research. His work focused on how "sedimentary basins" form. These are like big bowls in the Earth's crust where layers of rock and soil collect over time.
Today, he teaches and leads research projects. He works at the Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera in Barcelona. These projects are supported by Europe. They focus on understanding the Earth's surface and how flooding processes work.
See also
In Spanish: Daniel García-Castellanos para niños
