Discovery of Dark Oxygen 4,000 Metres Below the Pacific Ocean

Key facts

• Researchers have detected dark oxygen in the deep sea at depths of approximately 4,000 metres, where sunlight does not penetrate.
• The discovery was made in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean during research published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
• The oxygen is produced near polymetallic nodules, which are mineral-rich deposits containing metals such as nickel, manganese, and cobalt.
• Scientists used specialised benthic chambers to isolate sections of the seafloor and monitor chemical changes, observing unexpected increases in oxygen levels.
• The study suggests that these nodules may function like batteries, facilitating electrochemical reactions that break down seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.
• According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), these polymetallic nodules are typically found in the abyssal plains of the Pacific Ocean.
• This finding challenges the conventional scientific belief that Earth's oxygen is primarily produced through sunlight-dependent photosynthesis.
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