Deep-Ocean Minerals Generate Oxygen at 13,000 Feet Below Surface

Space Daily ^ | Jul 23, 2024 | Clarence Oxford

[Salman]

An international team of researchers, including a chemist from Northwestern University, has discovered that metallic minerals on the deep-ocean floor can produce oxygen at depths of 13,000 feet.

This finding challenges the traditional belief that only photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and algae, generate Earth's oxygen. The discovery suggests oxygen can also be produced at the seafloor, supporting aerobic sea life in complete darkness.

The study will be published on Monday, July 22, in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Andrew Sweetman from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) discovered this "dark oxygen" during ship-based fieldwork in the Pacific Ocean. Franz Geiger from Northwestern University led the electrochemistry experiments that potentially explain this phenomenon.

"For aerobic life to begin on the planet, there had to be oxygen, and our understanding has been that Earth's oxygen supply began with photosynthetic organisms," said Sweetman, head of the Seafloor Ecology and Biogeochemistry research group at SAMS. "But we now know that there is oxygen produced in the deep sea, where there is no light. I think we, therefore, need to revisit questions like: Where could aerobic life have begun?"

...

[Salman]

Emphasis added.

Previous theories about the unitary origin of life are in question.

[Carry_Okie]

So much for mining methane hydrates to “save the environment”!

[Red Badger]

That’s why they are called theories...................

[butlerweave]

OMG!!!!! oxygen crisis

[Red Badger]

Hey! The 'science is settled'!

How dare you introduce evidence to the contrary!................

[Wuli]

If water (H2O) preceded plant life then so too did oxygen precede plant life.

[TexasGator]

Scientific Theory: A tested and expanded hypothesis that explains many experiments and fits ideas together in a framework.

[TexasGator]

“If water (H2O) preceded plant life then so too did oxygen precede plant life.”

But probably not enough to support animal life.

[Red Badger]

They didn’t test it enough..................

[TexasGator]

“They didn’t test it enough..................”

Theories are continually being tested.

[Wuli]

Sunlight alone can breakdown water into hydrogen and oxygen, and there was plenty of surface water in oceans and lakes to give the atmosphere plenty of oxygen.

[minnesota_bound]

Next ‘scientists’ will say we are not short of oil and gas.
BTW we are not by a long shot.

[TexasGator]

“Sunlight alone can breakdown water into hydrogen and oxygen, and there was plenty of surface water in oceans and lakes to give the atmosphere plenty of oxygen.”

Who told you that?

[Wuli]

Sorry, my bad. I thought photocatylitic water splitting occured naturally. After you questioned it I researched and learned it only occurs by artificial processes. Mea culp, mea culpa.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Salman, and thanks RB for the link you sent in FReepmail. I've been delayed.

I thought my ping message graphics have been wiped out by Imgur, I guess that was just a temporary problem, but I plan to make backups today.

Thomas Gold / Deep Life ping.

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[Carry_Okie]

But Julie Packard has $400 million invested in mining methane hydrate, supposedly to keep it from burping methane to the atmosphere in a tremor!!! How is she going to recoup such altruism the Rockefellers talked her into if cheaper production elsewhere isn’t artificially constrained?

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the Thomas Gold keyword, sorted:

• Plus his obit: Thomas Gold (1920–2004) | Hermann Bondi | July 21 2004 | Nature volume 430, p 415

  ---

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[SunkenCiv]

Photocatalytic water splitting is done biologically, but it’s a rare mutation. I’d look, because it’s around here somewhere, but it’s deeper in the FRchives than this oxygen thing is in the oceans. :^)

[LS]

Link is broken

[SunkenCiv]

I didn’t put one in there. :^)