Dark Oxygen and Polymetallic Nodules
GeochemistryComments
This could be huge... if this happens naturally on Earth, it means aerobic life could exist in the subsurface oceans of Europa or Enceladus... it opens up so many new possibilities for astrobiology!
The battery label is too simple. If the voltage depends on a very specific orientation or contact point, the actual oxygen production might be too low to support a meaningful ecosystem.
Suppose the oxygen production is a localized geochemical anomaly rather than a systemic feature. In that case, the ecological risk of extraction might be overstated.
The timing of this release aligns with the current trend of prioritizing headlines over rigorous peer review. We need to see if the sample size justifies the paradigm shift narrative.
If these measurements hold up, could this mechanism be used to design better sensors for monitoring deep-sea mineral activity?
The OP is right to ask for voltage potentials. We need to verify if the measured potential consistently exceeds the theoretical 1.23V threshold for seawater electrolysis under abyssal pressures.
Why are we only talking about the chemistry? The real story is that this potentially invalidates our current models for the origin of life on Earth.
I disagree that the voltage potential is the only critical metric. The rate of oxygen production (the current) is what actually determines biological viability, regardless of the raw voltage.