Scientists Stunned After Discovering ‘Dark Oxygen’ 13,000 Feet Below Surface on the Ocean Bed

Dark Oxygen in the Pacific—Are Aliens Behind the Discovery?

The complexity of life's origins on Earth startled scientists. A recent study revealed that oxygen was being produced in the dark depths of the Pacific Ocean. Researchers were amazed to find that oxygen could be made without sunlight, challenging the conventional understanding of photosynthesis. In a news release, Andrew Sweetman, a professor at the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Oban, Scotland, said, "I think we need to revisit questions like: where could aerobic life have begun?" Let's delve deeper to understand where and how life on Earth might have started.

Oxygen Without Sunlight—Discovery or Illusion?

The research led by Sweetman had been published in the journal Nature Geoscience . The findings baffled scientists, but they believed that this 'dark oxygen' came from electrically charged minerals called polymetallic nodules. Researchers suggested that seawater electrolysis was behind the discovery, with these nodules using their electric charge to split seawater into hydrogen and oxygen. The study authors explained to the NY Post , "Only a voltage of 1.5 V was needed for seawater electrolysis to occur — the same voltage as a typical AA battery. The team analyzed multiple nodules and recorded readings of up to 0.95 volts on some surfaces, indicating that significant voltages could occur when the nodules were clustered together."

Are Extraterrestrial Origins Behind the Formation?

Knewz.com noted that this bizarre finding of dark oxygen in Pacific depths led scientists to suggest possible extraterrestrial origins or advanced technology. This discovery challenged the traditional notion of the deep sea and opened up new possibilities for life on planets with oceans and metal-rich rocks. Normally, the ocean floor was seen as a place where animals fed on remnants, but the study suggested it could be a place where life was produced. Peter Schroedl, a PhD student in BU’s ecology, behavior, and evolution program, told SciTechDaily , "Life in environments like the CCZ provided an opportunity to study ecosystems that developed under distinct evolutionary pressures and constraints. Those conditions—the depth, pressure, and aquatic environment—were analogous to conditions we had measured or expected to discover on icy moons."

Deep-sea mining and Ecosystems Could Be Affected

This discovery undoubtedly opened up many new options for exploration, but scientists believed that expeditions had to be conducted carefully to avoid destroying marine life. The polymetallic nodules found at the ocean's depths contained metals like manganese, nickel, and cobalt, which were used to make lithium-ion batteries. Franz Geiger, a chemistry professor at Northwestern University, explained that deep-sea mining missions in the 1970s and 1980s might have harmed marine life, as the mined areas showed little signs of life, while untouched nodule areas thrived. Geiger further told NPR , "We needed to be careful if deep-sea mining became a pursued opportunity, ensuring it was done in a way that was not detrimental to life down there."

New Phenomenon— Seawater Electrolysis

Scientists had always thought that sunlight was crucial for producing oxygen. However, the discovery of traces of dark oxygen in the depths of the Pacific suggested a new process called seawater electrolysis. Oxygen was produced when an electric current passed through seawater and interacted with special electrodes, causing the water to split into oxygen and hydrogen gases. One major benefit of dark oxygen was that it reduced carbon emissions, thus providing a much cleaner energy source. Jeffrey Marlow, a study co-author and assistant professor of biology at Boston University’s College of Arts & Sciences, told Earth.com , "This was weird because no one had ever seen it before." He added, "We did a lot of troubleshooting and found that the oxygen levels increased many more times following that initial measurement. So, we were now convinced it was a real signal."