Scientists found strange ‘dark oxygen’ on the ocean floor

A new oxygen source found at the bottom of the ocean has scientists scratching their heads. The “dark oxygen,” as some have referred to it, appears to be created by a chemical reaction that splits water molecules, leaving excess amounts of oxygen in its wake.

Researchers have shared their findings on the new source of oxygen in a paper published in Nature Geoscience, and it certainly raises some questions about the reaction we’re seeing take place here. While some have called it “fascinating,”...