Scientists at Newcastle University have discovered a source of oxygen deep in the Earth's crust that may have influenced the evolution of life before the advent of photosynthesis. The pioneering research project uncovered a mechanism that can generate hydrogen peroxide from rocks during the movem
Researchers have uncovered a source of oxygen that may have influenced the evolution of life before the advent of photosynthesis.have discovered a source of oxygen deep in the Earth’s crust that may have influenced the evolution of life before the advent ofThe pioneering research project uncovered a mechanism that can generate hydrogen peroxide from rocks during the movement of geological faults.
In tectonically active regions, the movement of the Earth’s crust not only generates earthquakes but also riddles the subsurface with cracks and fractures. These are lined with highly reactive rock surfaces containing many imperfections, or defects. Water can then filter down and react with these defects on the newly fractured rock.
The research investigates a source of reactive oxygen associated with geological faulting; a potential oxygen source prior to cyanobacteria oxygenating the Earth’s atmosphere. This reactive oxygen may have had a role in the evolution of life from an oxygen-free to an oxygenated world and contributed to prebiotic chemistry in subsurface fractures prior to the origin of life.
Lead author Jordan Stone, who conducted this research as part of his Master of Research in Environmental Geoscience, said: “While previous research has suggested that small amounts of hydrogen peroxide and other oxidants can be formed by stressing or crushing of rocks in the absence of oxygen, this is the first study to show the vital importance of hot temperatures in maximizing hydrogen peroxide generation.
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