Groundbreaking Study Reveals Production of 'Dark Oxygen' by Seafloor Metals
An international team of researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery: oxygen can be generated in total darkness, about 4,000 meters below the ocean surface. This surprising discovery was published in the journal Nature Geosciences Monday and challenges long-held beliefs about the origins of oxygen on Earth. The discovery focuses on potato-shaped metallic nodules found deep in the Pacific Ocean. These nodules, found at depths of about 13,100 feet, have been shown to produce oxygen through a process that does not require sunlight, overturning the traditional understanding that photosynthesis by plants and algae is the primary source of oxygen on our…
