Dark Oxygen

Context

A study conducted in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone has discovered that metallic nodules on the seafloor are responsible for producing “dark oxygen.”

Dark Oxygen:

• This term refers to oxygen produced in the deep-sea abyssal region, where photosynthesis is not possible.
• It is generated by polymetallic nodules that split water molecules using electrical charges.

Polymetallic Nodules

• Composition: These nodules are lumps of iron, manganese hydroxides, and rocks found partially submerged on the ocean floor. They are vital for the production of lithium-ion batteries.
• Locations: They are most abundant in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone off the west coast of Mexico, the Central Indian Ocean Basin, and the Peru Basin.