La Brea

Pitch Lake

At about 100 hundred acres and around 250 feet deep, the La Brea Pitch Lake in the world  holds an estimated 10 million tons of asphalt and is the world's largest natural pitch lake. The lake is mostly made up of water, gas, bitumen, and minerals (namely silica sand and clay). It also contains some “soft material” (World) and has gas made up of methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. This is what hardens and becomes most of the asphalt. As the hardening occurs, the process begins elsewhere. Although seemingly still, the asphalt slowly moves in a stirring motion. This is shown in the “flow lines'' (World) that appear on the surface of the lake. Supporting this evidence, prehistoric trees and other traces of life have been found to have “appeared, disappeared and reappeared” (World). It is considered therapeutic to swim in the waters of the La Brea Pitch Lake because of the high sulfur levels. 

The history of this pitch lake is complicated, but it has been established that Sir Waiter Raleigh rediscovered this lake in 1595 (after whom exactly has not been specified) and  began officially exporting the asphalt to other countries in 1888. According to UNESCO, “The La Brea Pitch Lake is the most significant pitch lake in the world. The natural phenomenon of Pitch Lakes is an important aspect of earth's history as it relates to the formation of crude oil and natural gas.”