{{Short description|Natural asphalt lakes in Carpinteria, California, US}} {{Coord|34|23|30.98|N|119|31|16.44|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}
[[File:Layers of stone and tar at Carpinteria, CA.jpg|thumb|Layers of stone, sand and tar at Carpinteria State Beach. [[Heavy crude oil|Heavy oil]] overflowing outcrop. Yellow vertical ruler is 1m]] [[File:CarpOffshore.jpg|thumb|The Carpinteria Offshore Oil Field area]] [[File:Map of California highlighting Santa Barbara County.svg|thumb|upright=0.6| Overview map, Santa Barbara County in southern California]] [[File:Carpinteria State Beach Hossen27.jpg|thumb| Carpinteria State beach sign]]
The '''Carpinteria Tar Pits''' (also '''Carpinteria Oil Seeps''') are a series of natural [[Tar pit|asphalt lakes]] situated in the southern part of [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara County]] in southern California, US.<ref name=A>{{cite web |url=http://www.carpinteria.com/activities/parks/tarpits/ |title=Tar Pits Park|publisher=Carpinteria.com |format= |work= |accessdate=2012-03-20}}</ref><ref name=B>{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/599/files/carpinteria.pdf |title=Carpinteria State Beach|publisher=State of California|format=pdf |work= |accessdate=2012-03-20}}</ref>
The Carpinteria Tar Pits are a natural asphalt lake areas similar to [[Pitch Lake|Tierra de Brea]] [[Trinidad and Tobago]], [[Lake Bermudez|Lake Guanoco]] in [[Venezuela]] and the [[La Brea Tar Pits]] (Los Angeles) and [[McKittrick Tar Pits]] ([[McKittrick, California|McKittrick]]) both also located in the US state of California.<ref name=C>{{cite web|url=http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=485|title=Pitch (Asphalt) Lakes of Trinidad, Venezuela, and California|accessdate=2012-03-20|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401124638/http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=485|archivedate=2012-04-01}}</ref> These pits are all characterized by the large asphalt-based areas that seem to have trapped hundreds of fossils and slowed down decay over time.
==Geography== The Carpinteria Tar Pits are located in the southeastern extremity of Santa Barbara County about {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} southeast of [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]] in the town of [[Carpinteria, California|Carpinteria]].<ref name=A/>
The area is a designated park, the '''Tar Pits Park''', and lies within the [[Carpinteria State Beach]] area in the southern part between the ''Santa Rosa'' and the ''San Miguel'' campsites.<ref name=A/><ref name=B/> Most of the tar pits are located along a short stretch directly on the beach and generate from the underlying [[Carpinteria Offshore Oil Field]].
==Geology== The Carpinteria Tar Pits most likely date from the [[Pleistocene]] [[Epoch (geology)|epoch]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trapped in tar: The Ice Age animals of Rancho La Brea |url=https://eartharchives.org/articles/trapped-in-tar-the-ice-age-animals-of-rancho-la-brea/index.html |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Earth Archives}}</ref>
The creation of an asphalt lake is typically the result of upwards migrations of hydrocarbons along a geologic [[Geologic fault|fault]]. Additionally, in connection with [[subduction]] pressure can be created against underlying oil [[source rock]].<ref name=C/><ref name=X>{{cite web |url=http://www.gstt.org/geology/pitch%20lake.htm |title=The Pitch Lake of trinidad |accessdate=2012-03-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131053406/http://www.gstt.org/geology/pitch%20lake.htm |archivedate=2010-01-31 }}</ref>
The oil moves towards the surface and slowly transforms into [[bitumen]]; on the way through the [[lithosphere]], it picks up clay and water and is cooled into asphalt.
The Carpinteria pits are one of two in southern California. Although the La Brea pit is more well known, Carpinteria is both older and larger.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-12 |title=Mark James Miller: Carpinteria Tar Pits hold ancient secrets |url=https://lompocrecord.com/opinion/columnists/mark-james-miller-carpinteria-tar-pits-hold-ancient-secrets/article_45734436-7577-5c76-a229-9804c68b9d5f.html#:~:text=Smaller%20and%20less%20well-known,years%20to%20the%20Pleistocene%20Age. |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Lompoc Record |language=en}}</ref> Both pits were created in the same way, via this subduction along the San Andreas fault.
The fossils collected here are that of more moderate temperature species such as ferns, indicating the climate of this region may have been much more temperate than what it is today.
==History== The Carpinteria Tar Pits were known to the [[Chumash people]], who mined the asphalt and used it as a sealant for waterproofing their [[tomol]]s (plank-built boats) and other purposes.<ref name=A/><ref name=B/><ref name=F>{{cite web |url=http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC127EG |title=Tar Pits Park |format= |work= |accessdate=2012-03-20}}</ref>
The area was named "La Carpinteria" (the carpentry) by a Spanish expedition under explorer [[Gaspar de Portolá]], which arrived in the area on August 17, 1769.<ref name=B/> Initially, these tar pits were drilled for oil due to their ease of access of the natural resource. Starting around 1915, the tar pits were mined and the asphalt was used for building a coastal highway. In 1933, the area was designated a state beach and in 1941 it was formally opened to the public and all commercial activity stopped.<ref name=B/>
The tar pits have trapped and preserved hundreds of Pleistocene Age Mammals and birds. Some findings are on display at the [[Carpinteria Valley Museum of History]], but no paleontological studies have been conducted because the tar pits were used as a local rubbish dump.<ref name=B/><ref name=F/>
==See also== *[[Petroleum seep]] *[[Asphalt volcano]] *[[Coal Oil Point seep field]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Asphalt lakes]] [[Category:Carpinteria, California]] [[Category:Parks in Santa Barbara County, California]] [[Category:Pleistocene paleontological sites of North America]] [[Category:Lagerstätten]] [[Category:Natural history of California]] [[Category:Paleontology in California]] [[Category:Oil fields in Santa Barbara County, California]]