Oil is usually found deep under ground, but the greater Los Angeles area up through the Santa Barbara area is one of a few places in the world where oil is not just close to the surface, it is on the surface, bubbling in cold pits of bitumen, also known as asphalt and tar. This asphaltum has been important to humans for as long as they have lived in the region. In the past it was primarily used to waterproof boats, water carriers, and cooking vessels or as an adhesive. Now, of course we use it to make a whole range of products from gasoline to Vaseline, rubber, plastics, pantyhose, parachutes, paint, detergents, antifreeze, golf balls, and more.
Bitumen occurs where vast amounts of living material (plankton, diatoms, or plant material
Bitumen occurs where vast amounts of living material (plankton, diatoms, or plant material