'Earth's hidden ocean': Tethys Seaway was the force behind deserts, monsoons, and migration
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Ocean Lost
Once linking the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, the vast Tethys Seaway vanished under tectonic pressure.
Plate Pressure
Africa’s slow collision with Eurasia kicked off a cascade of climate and geographic upheaval.
Credit: NASA
Current Shift
As the seaway closed, ocean circulation patterns changed, throwing global ecosystems off balance.
Land Lift
Mantle heat uplifted East Africa and Arabia, forming new land routes where sea once dominated.
Bridge Formed
The Gomphotherium Land Bridge let animals—and eventually humans—cross continents with ease.
Representative pic
Desert Born
The drying of North Africa and rerouting of ocean currents turned lush land into the Sahara.
Rain Rewired
Asia’s monsoon grew stronger, drenching Southeast Asia while reshaping plant and animal life.
Seas Split
The vanished seaway became today’s Mediterranean and Arabian Seas—mere echoes of a giant ocean.
Collision Continues
Tectonic grind still pushes up mountains and shakes the Earth—proof the shift never really ended.