Scientists say they found oxygen where it shouldn’t be. Now, the hunt is on for more answers

Scientists who recently discovered that pieces of metal on the dark seabed produce oxygen have announced plans to study the deepest parts of Earth's oceans to understand this strange phenomenon, the BBC notes.

Scientists say they found oxygen where it shouldn't be. Now hunt is on for answers

The discovery that metallic rocks are apparently producing oxygen on the Pacific Ocean's seabed challenges the idea that oxygen can only be made from sunlight via photosynthesis.

The hunt for ‘dark’ oxygen and why it might be more common than first thought

A project is underway to investigate the production of “dark” oxygen further. Understanding the phenomenon better could help space scientists find life beyond Earth

According to a shocking discovery made public in July, in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, where sunlight does not reach, metal-containing rocks produce oxygen. <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/17/science/dark-oxygen-research/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This unexpected natural phenomenon fundamentally challenges the idea that oxygen can be produced solely with the help of sunlight, via photosynthesis, CNN reported.</a>

Oxygen Found Where It Shouldn’t Exist – Could It Solve the Mystery of Life Beyond Earth?

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found oxygen being produced in a location where no one expected it – the seabed of the Pacific Ocean, thousands of meters below the surface. This unexpected phenomenon challenges everything we know about how oxygen is created on Earth, and its potential applications may even extend to the search for life beyond our planet. Dark Oxygen: A Scientific Bombshell In July, a team of researchers led by Pro…

The discovery calls into question how the first oxygen could have been created on our Earth.