The US state of California contains many asphalt lakes. Asphalt lakes are tar pits that form when a type of petroleum called bitumen is forced from underground up to the Earth’s surface. Usually occurring along fault lines, the bitumen pools at the surface and the lighter elements vaporize, leaving a pool of natural asphalt. Mining for asphalt and tourism are important economic activities associated with such lakes. The world’s five known natural asphalt lake areas are highlighted below. 5. Pitch Lake Pitch Lake is the largest natural asphalt deposit in the world. Located in the town of La Brea on the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, the lake holds about 10 million tons of asphalt and is approximately 250 feet deep. Pitch Lake has a unique microbial diversity composed of both bacterial and archaeal colonies. Many new species of microbes have been discovered there, and even new species of fungi have been found in the lake. The lake is believed to exist at the intersection of tw
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