Where does tar on the beach come from?
A. Oil, tar, and gas seeps are common along the California coast. These seeps are part of the natural environment, and geological and archeological evidence shows that seepage has occurred throughout California for thousands of years. Scientists have found that seepage from one of the largest seeps known offshore Coal Oil Point ranged from 150-170 barrels per day. At least 2,000 active oil and gas seeps have been mapped in waters offshore California.
