In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found potato-size metallic nodules on the Pacific Ocean seafloor that are producing oxygen in complete darkness without the help of living organisms. This phenomenon, known as “dark oxygen,” challenges our understanding of how oxygen is generated and poses new questions about the origins of life on Earth.
Lead researcher Andrew Sweetman described the initial disbelief when their instruments showed oxygen being produced instead of consumed in the deep sea. The findings, published in Nature Geoscience, point to seawater electrolysis as the mechanism behind this oxygen production, where small metallic nodules split seawater into oxygen and hydrogen.
These polymetallic nodules, rich in iron, manganese, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements, are common on the ocean’s abyssal plains. The team originally set out to study the impact of mining these nodules but stumbled upon this groundbreaking discovery instead.
The presence of dark oxygen challenges the traditional belief that oxygen is only produced through photosynthesis. This raises new questions about the origins of aerobic life on Earth and the potential importance of these nodules in deep-sea ecosystems.
Sweetman emphasized the need to reevaluate our approach to mining these nodules, which he likened to “batteries in a rock.” This discovery has opened up a new realm of research and underscores the importance of understanding the deep-sea environment and its impact on our planet’s history and future.
