"Scientists have discovered something wild deep in the Pacific Ocean—“dark oxygen.”
Found 4,000 meters below the surface in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, this oxygen is being created *without* sunlight, which challenges the idea that photosynthesis is the only way oxygen is made on Earth.
The secret? Strange mineral-rich formations on the seafloor called polymetallic nodules. These may work like tiny “geobatteries,” generating a small natural voltage that splits seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.
This could change how we understand the origins of life on Earth—and it’s also raising big questions about the risks of deep-sea mining in these sensitive areas."
Found 4,000 meters below the surface in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, this oxygen is being created *without* sunlight, which challenges the idea that photosynthesis is the only way oxygen is made on Earth.
The secret? Strange mineral-rich formations on the seafloor called polymetallic nodules. These may work like tiny “geobatteries,” generating a small natural voltage that splits seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.
This could change how we understand the origins of life on Earth—and it’s also raising big questions about the risks of deep-sea mining in these sensitive areas."
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