Polymetallic nodules, collected from the ocean floor, sit in simulated seawater in chemist Franz Geiger’s laboratory at Northwestern University. Researchers have discovered that metallic minerals on the ocean floor produce oxygen without sunlight, a finding that challenges previous beliefs that only photosynthetic organisms generate oxygen. Credit: Franz Geiger/Northwestern University
Scientists discover metallic minerals split water to generate ‘dark oxygen’.
An international study reveals that deep-sea minerals produce oxygen in total darkness, suggesting an alternative oxygen source that could predate photosynthetic life. This discovery has major implications for deep-sea mining, highlighting the need for sustainable practices to protect these newly discovered oxygen sources.
Discovering Oxygen Production Deep in the Ocean
An international team of researchers, including a his previous work, Geiger found that rust, when combined with saltwater, can generate electricity. The researchers wondered if the deep-ocean’s polymetallic nodules generated enough electricity to produce oxygen. This chemical reaction is part of a process called seawater electrolysis, which pulls electrons out of water’s oxygen
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