Fig. 2: Projected changes in global shelf extent and local diel O2 concentrations at the sediment-water interface. | Nature Communications

Fig. 2: Projected changes in global shelf extent and local diel O2 concentrations at the sediment-water interface.

From: Benthic diel oxygen variability and stress as potential drivers for animal diversification in the Neoproterozoic-Palaeozoic

Fig. 2: Projected changes in global shelf extent and local diel O2 concentrations at the sediment-water interface.The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

A schematic visualisation of the shallow sandy shelf and habitat expansion, the corresponding amplified extent of benthic microalgae habitats in the photic zone (green line), and the hypothetical diel O2 dynamics at (A) the icehouse (blue) and (B) the greenhouse (beige) climate end-member scenarios, with cold versus warm shallow shelf settings. C A schematic understanding of benthic microalgae communities (green line) at the sediment-water-interface where it regulates sediment oxygen concentration dynamics by photosynthetic gross O2 production during daylight and by heterotrophic O2 consumption during nighttime. D The applied 1D biogeochemical model illustrating the diffusion boundary layer (DBL), the sediment-water (SW) interface and two modelled steady state O2 concentration profiles as they appear during daylight (red line, photosynthesis-driven net oxygen productive) and during night (blue line; net O2 consuming), respectively. Model parameters are atmospheric oxygen (ppO2), temperature (T), salinity (S), production Q10 (Q10p), respiration Q10 (Q10r) and TOC adjustment factor (coc).

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