Dark Oxygen:
Scientists have recently discovered a strange phenomenon, dubbed “dark oxygen” in the deep sea.
- Dark Oxygen is being produced in complete darkness thousands of feet below the ocean surface is termed dark oxygen.
- Until now, it was thought that oxygen was created only through photosynthesis, a process that requires sunlight.
- Oceanic plankton, drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria are the primary elements attributed to the production of oxygen in the ocean.
- All these organisms are capable of photosynthesis.
- The production of oxygen at such depths is thought to be impossible because there isn’t enough sunlight for plants to do photosynthesis.
- However, in this case, oxygen is not being produced by plants.
- The oxygen comes out of Polymetallic nodules that are similar in resemblance to lumps of coal.
- These nodules, made up of metals like manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium, can generate oxygen through electrochemical activity even in the absence of light.
- They are splitting H2O molecules into Hydrogen and Oxygen.
Polymetallic Nodules:
- Polymetallic nodules, also known as manganese nodules, are small, rounded accretions found on the seabed of the deep ocean floor.
