Study finds ‘dark oxygen’ 13,000 feet below the ocean: Source beyond photosynthesis?

Dark oxygen was found to be released from mineral deposits located 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) below the surface in the Pacific Ocean's Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

This discovery challenges our knowledge of the oxygen sources on our planet. (Wikimedia Commons photo)

Scientists have been fascinated by the mystery of dark matter for decades, thinking that it uses gravitational attraction to hold galaxies together. Recently, an exciting discovery has shed light on another unseen phenomena: dark oxygen. So, what is it?

Dark oxygen is found well below the ocean’s surface. A recent study published in Nature Geoscience reveals that oxygen is released from mineral deposits located 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) below the surface in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ).

This depth is almost half of Mount Everest’s height.

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Undertaken by Andrew Sweetman, a professor at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), and his seafloor ecology and biogeochemistry research team, the study reveals a source of oxygen apart from the widely recognized process of photosynthesis.

Why is the study significant?

It has long been recognized by scientists that photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and algae, are the main source of oxygen on Earth and provide it to both people and animals. The finding of dark oxygen, however, calls into question this theory.

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The 4.5 million square kilometer (1.7 million square mile) Central Cordillera (CCZ) is home to iron and manganese-rich polymetallic nodules, which resemble coal.

It has been discovered that these nodules may manufacture oxygen on their own without the need of sunshine or photosynthesis.

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This breakthrough suggests that there could be another mechanism contributing to the planet’s oxygen supply.

“The other implication of this research is that it potentially sheds light on where life began on the planet,” Sweetman commented in a SAMS video.

As per Sweetman, it raises the possibility that life could have thrived on Earth before the rise of photosynthesis and “if it’s happening on our planet could it be happening on other planets too.”

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The journey to this discovery began over a decade ago during a 2013 research mission.

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The initial goal of research was to comprehend how the CCZ seafloor’s oxygen levels changed with depth.

They tracked oxygen levels using landers, which are mechanical platforms made to descend freely to the seafloor, and found this surprising source of dark oxygen.

This discovery challenges our knowledge of the oxygen sources on our planet. So the consequences of this discovery could drastically change our understanding of the conditions required for life to exist.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)