We reconstructed the full
carbonate system of an
estuarine seagrass habitat for a summer period of 2.5 months utilizing a combination of time - series observations and mechanistic modeling, and quantified the roles of aerobic metabolism, mixing, and gas exchange in the observed dynamics.
The three lines are: (1) the beginning: the Khirthar transgression and the onset of neritic
carbonate accumulation in the Bartonian Age (preceding onset of the Middle Eocene climatic optimum [MECO]-RRB-; (2) the midlife change (Bartonian - Priabonian transition): the shift from
carbonate - rich to
carbonate - poor, higher - nutrient environments under
estuarine circulation, causing widespread dysaerobia culminating in opaline silicas; and (3) the Eocene - Oligocene = Priabonian - Rupelian boundary and glaciation during oxygen isotope event Oi - 1, with return of improved ventilation in neritic environments and resumption of
carbonate accumulation.