The sverdrup [0] is a unit used in oceanography to measure the volumetric flow of ocean currents, although as a unit of flow it can describe rivers as well. The

The sverdrup [0] is a unit used in oceanography to measure the volumetric flow of ocean currents, although as a unit of flow it can describe rivers as well. The flow of the Amazon — a full order of magnitude above any other river — is only about 0.2 Sv. About five million years ago, the Mediterranean basin was disconnected from the Atlantic and almost completely dessicated. During the Zanclean flood [1], the Atlantic reconnected with the basin and refilled it at a rate of ~100 Sv, carving the Strait of Gibraltar in the process. Imagine a river about the width of the Amazon — perhaps wider, but not by too much — but with five hundred times the flow, filling the Mediterranean by up to ten meters a day. It must have been incredible. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverdrup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverdrup [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanclean_flood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanclean_flood