The world’s largest deposit of asphalt can be found in Trinidad
Despite the fact that there is little to no water present, the asphalt accumulation is known as "Pitch Lake". The "lake" is said to be located above an open fault line, allowing oil to seep up and solidify into asphalt when the more liquid chemicals evaporate. The deposit may retain approximately 10 million tons of asphalt at any given moment. Small ponds can form during the rainy season, containing high quantities of sulphur, which residents claim can heal almost everything!
The Pitch Lake is the world's biggest natural asphalt deposit, with an estimated 10 million tons. It's in the Siparia Regional Corporation, near La Brea, in southwest Trinidad. The lake is estimated to be 250 feet (76.2 meters) deep and encompasses roughly 100 acres (0.405 square kilometers). Pitch Lake is a famous tourist destination with a small museum and professional tour operators who may take visitors across the lake. Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago mines the lake for asphalt. The lake was formed thousands of years ago when the Caribbean continental plate was driven under another plate during subduction. This triggered the opening of fault lines, allowing oil from deep subterranean sources to ascend to the surface and gather in a volcanic crater. Lighter portions of the oil evaporated in the air, leaving behind the heavier asphalt, which is a mixture of oil, clay, and water.
