Scientists find out oxygen could be produced on Earth before photosynthesis appeared

On ancient Earth, oxygen could be produced without photosynthesis.

The oxygen atmosphere of the Earth was formed as a result of the vital activity of algae and bacteria. Now scientists have discovered another source of oxygen that could influence the evolution of life even before the advent of photosynthesis, according to Naked Science.

Scientists from Newcastle University have discovered a process in which hydrogen peroxide is released from mountain faults during the movement of tectonic plates. In high concentrations, it is harmful to life, but in small concentrations, it can be a source of oxygen for bacteria and other microorganisms.

To find out, experts conducted experiments on the interaction of rocks with water. To do this, they crushed granite, basalt and peridotite - rocks present in the early earth's crust - and added water to them in well-controlled oxygen-free conditions at various temperatures. It turned out that when heated to temperatures close to boiling, hydrogen peroxide is released, and at the same time, some hyperthermophilic bacteria can live in these conditions.

Scientists suggest that hydrogen peroxide released near the faults could have influenced the development of life in subsurface ecosystems in the Archean era. Although scientists do not know exactly when global plate tectonics began, faults could have arisen due to volcanic activity or the fall of asteroids.