Peach Lake asphalt lake. asphalt lake

What do the Hong Kong-Kowloon Tunnel, the Transalpine Road in Austria, and the Jubilee Highway Viaduct in England have in common? All of them are distinguished by a special type of road surface, which includes a unique natural asphalt from the lake Peach Lake(English) Pitch Lake ). You can't swim in this lake... But you can walk on it...

Lake located on the island Trinidad(English) Trinidad ), not far from the village La Brea(Spanish) Labrea ), which means " resin", filled with ... asphalt! The area of ​​the pit with a semi-liquid black mass, which is 40 % comprises bitumen, on 30 % from clay and more on 30 % from salt water, is 45 hectares. In the recesses between the viscous asphalt waves, rainwater accumulates.

The surface of the amazing lake is oily and in places so hard that you can walk on it, but it’s better not to do this, after all, the depth of the bubbling brown-black cauldron is about 80 meters in the most deep places, and in which case it will be as difficult for a person to get out of it as for a fly that has fallen into jam. True, after some time, the drowned man, dragged to the bottom, will again be on the surface, since the asphalt is in constant slow motion. But, of course, this will not please anyone. In some places on this hard surface there are small puddles of sticky bitumen, which can cause a lot of trouble for an inexperienced traveler - at least shoes can get stuck in them.

It turned out that a truck or other heavy equipment can safely drive along the lake! But, if such a technique will stand in one place for a long time, it will gradually sink.

If you try to "scoop up" "water", it will be pulled by threads of thick tar. In the depths of Peach Lake, something is constantly bubbling... And now, on the surface, strange thick waves slowly diverge towards the shore from the center, when a new portion of tar rises from the depths. Or it suddenly begins to bubble - this is how sulfurous gases rise to its surface.

Scientists who explored the bowels of an asphalt lake discovered a whole cemetery of prehistoric animals - the bones of mastodons that became extinct in glacial period, and even the remains of ancient lizards.

Legend

The gods punish those who try to break the unwritten laws given from above. So, for example, it happened with the Indians chima living on the island of Trinidad, which nestled in Atlantic Ocean off the northeast coast South America. Once an Indian village was located on the shores of the crystal clear Peach Lake. Now…

Once the gods of the forest gave the people of the Chaima tribe an unusual bird - hummingbird. This tiny creature, whose motley plumage changes its shade depending on the angle of incidence of the sun's rays on it, was, according to the plan of the gods, to decorate the lives of people, soften their hearts and cheer their souls. After all, it was not for nothing that the gods created pichugs beautiful, like revived flowers. In addition, this bird, the size of a fly, was distinguished by amazing courage: strong blows beak she could knock down a snake crawling to her nest from a tree. Remembering the courage of this tiny creature, protecting his home from enemies, the Indians, if necessary, had to fearlessly engage in battle with the enemy.

However, it so happened that, at the behest of evil spirits, black thoughts were born in the heads of the Chima. Looking at how a tiny bird, hovering over flowers, feasts on nectar, they thought: if this creature drinks the sweet essence of a flower, then what should it taste like? Well, isn't it interesting to have a sacred bird baked in banana leaves for lunch? No sooner said than done. Having caught a lot of birds with a net woven from grass, the Indians tried to arrange a feast. However, nothing came of this - their prey turned out to be too small and fragile, the delicacy turned out to be useless. And the gods, offended by such an attitude towards their gift, decided to punish the Chima. The next morning, after the shameful meal, people saw that blue waters their lakes turned into sticky brown mud.

This is the legend of the Chima Indians, who still live in the vicinity of Peach Lake. And the bituminous oils in the lake, shimmering in the sun with all the colors of the rainbow, resemble local residents about the hummingbirds they killed.

Scientific versions of the origin

The legend about the origin of Peach Lake does not satisfy scientists, they are still arguing about where it came from. Many believe that the accumulation of natural asphalt was formed in the crater of a dormant volcano. Oil, little by little coming from the bowels of the earth, mixed with volcanic ash and eventually formed an asphalt cauldron.

According to another version, the asphalt lake was once at the bottom of the sea, and about 50,000,000 years ago, the bodies of small marine animals sank to the bottom, turning into oil, and then, under the influence of processes in the earth's crust, this oil was forced out to the surface and thickened under the action of the sun.

There is a version that the depression, which was once the crater of the volcano, is now connected to its mouth. And oil, slowly rising to the surface, loses some of its volatile substances. And then, reacting with organic matter that gets into the “waters” of the lake in different ways, it becomes the very substance that is so profitable and convenient to cover roads.

Flora and fauna

Oddly enough, there are tiny islands on the lake, on which even frail trees grow. Apparently, in the pockets between the layers of bitumen, over the years, what has become soil capable of giving life to plants even in such a strange, seemingly unsuitable place for life has accumulated over the years.

Peach Lake is a habitat for many wildlife. The water on its surface collects in small ponds surrounded by a grass edge.

Here you can find quite rare bird - masked duck (Oxyura dominica ). If someone approaches her, she freezes in place or silently dives under the water. From the thickets of grass that reaches the armpits, another bird flies out - jakana (Jacana jacana ). This bird is notable for the fact that against the background of its dark plumage, pale yellow feathers under the wings stand out sharply. Here you can also find small sultan (Porphyrula martinica ) and other wading birds. Small freshwater fish live in the ponds, and sometimes you can even see caiman.

Practical application and properties

IN 1595 year the ships of the British traveler sir Walter Raleigh(English) Sir Walter Raleigh ). At that time, the lake, which now lies in a deep depression, was located on a plain, and streams of asphalt flowed from it to the very coast. Raleigh covered the crevices of his leaking ships with asphalt and declared that the asphalt was "of the highest quality," noting that it "does not melt under the sun like Norwegian tar, and is therefore suitable for ships calling in southern ports."

IN 1814 In a year, in one geographical dictionary, the lake was described as "a wonderful natural phenomenon."

IN 1846 year to the scientist Abraham Gesner, who was later dubbed the "father" of the oil industry, succeeded in isolating a new lighting oil from Trinidadian asphalt. He named it kerosene. Unfortunately, the sulfur that was part of this asphalt gave the kerosene a rather unpleasant odor. Subsequently, Gesner began to use a different asphalt, odorless.

Asphalt from Lake Trinidad was only highly valued when it became clear that it could be used as a road surface. IN 1876 year, engineers proposed to cover Pennsylvania Avenue in the city with this asphalt Washington. The new road surface, despite heavy traffic, remained in excellent condition for 11 years. Trinidad asphalt became famous all over the world.

IN last years oil companies produce cheap bitumen as a by-product of oil refining. But engineers still use natural Trinidadian asphalt to build highways, bridges, airports and seaports.

Why? Trinidadian asphalt gives road surfaceshardness, wearawn, durability, cars skid less on such surfaces, not to mention the fact that this asphalt has a matte gray color, which improves visibility during night driving. Asphalt from Peach Lake has proven to be the best +40°C heat and -25°C frost. Runways made of this asphalt can withstand the constant stress of frequent take-offs and landings of the heaviest airliners for many years. In addition, such strips are not susceptible to erosion by de-icers, as well as fuels and oils that can get on them as a result of leakage. Many coatings of this kind last more than 20 years and do not require special care.

The quality characteristics of asphalt from Lake Trinidad are due to its special composition. It includes bitumen containing 63 -67 % maltenes And 33 -37 % asphaltenes. Maltene is a class of petroleum chemical compounds that, due to their stickiness, give bitumen its astringent properties. According to one work, they are "incredibly sticky and have increased cementing properties, not at all oily, unlike bitumen obtained from the distillation of oil." asphaltenes is another group of hydrocarbons. They give bitumen the properties of thermoplastics - substances that become liquid and fluid when heated, and harden when cooled. The characteristic features and mutual ratio of all these components give the asphalt properties that are not easily obtained in the conditions of an oil refinery.

Extraction and processing

From time to time a breeze brings some pungent smell from the lake. It's hydrogen sulfide. This gas is produced in small amounts in the lake, along with methane, ethane and carbon dioxide. Inside, a piece of asphalt looks like Swiss cheese - full of holes formed by gas bubbles.

A large tractor, equipped with powerful iron teeth, cuts the asphalt from the surface of the lake. The pieces of asphalt are then loaded onto trolleys, which are driven by a haul rope, and sent to a nearby asphalt plant. From the end XIX century here mined from above 9 000 000 tons of asphalt! It's estimated that there's still some left in the lake 10 000 000 tons of asphalt, and, at the current rate of production, they will be enough for the next 400 years.

Such concepts as bitumen, resin and pitch are very closely related to the concept of asphalt. Bitumens are a class of dark heavy hydrocarbons found in tar, pitch and crude oil. During the dry distillation of wood, coal or peat, as a result of condensation, a black viscous mass is obtained, which is called resin. If the resin is subjected to further evaporation, a thick residue remains - pitch. The bitumen content in tar and pitch is comparatively low.

During the distillation of crude oil, a residue is formed, almost entirely composed of bitumen. The bitumen obtained in this way is also called asphalt. However, in many countries, the word "asphalt" means road surfaces, which are a mixture of bitumen with mineral fillers such as sand and gravel.

The recycling process is quite simple. The raw asphalt is dumped into large bins, each holding more than 100 tons. The tanks are equipped with coils, inside of which steam is supplied at a temperature +165°С and the asphalt melts. At the same time, gases are released from it, excess water evaporates, which is approximately 30 % masses of raw asphalt. The asphalt is then filtered to remove pieces of wood and other plant matter. Ready hot asphalt is poured into cardboard molds lined with silicone paper. The molds are made right here at the factory. Each of them contains 240 kg of asphalt. The entire cleaning process takes approximately 18 hours.

Cleaned asphalt is called " diagram ". Such asphalt mixes well with bitumen obtained from the distillation of oil and other materials, thus forming high-quality road surfaces. In recent years, Trinidadian asphalt has also been used to produce a variety of paints, adhesives, insulating and waterproof building materials. Thus, asphalt in one form or another can be found in residential buildings and other buildings around the world.

Any hole that remains after the extraction of several tons of asphalt gradually decreases and disappears without a trace after a couple of weeks. Therefore, it seems that the lake restores itself. In reality, "hard" asphalt is a very viscous liquid, and it simply flows into the resulting cavity. Thus, the whole lake is in constant, almost imperceptible movement.

Interesting facts about asphalt lakes

Similar asphalt lakes have been known for a very long time, and asphalt was used in construction work. City Babylon V VI-VII century BC, it was surrounded by a wall, during the construction of which asphalt, mined in the Red Sea region, was used as a cementing material. It has been established that even a few millennia BC, asphalt was used in India for the device of pools, since the asphalt bottom and walls of the pools are impervious to water.

In one work, a successful generalization was made on this subject: “This wonderful creation of God is of particular ... interest, inspiring natural scientists with a sense of admiration and reverence.”

The Bible also notes the waterproof properties of asphalt, or tar. Before building the ark Noah received the following instructions: "Cover him with pitch inside and out" (Genesis 6:14). And according to Exodus 2:3, the basket of reeds in which they put Moses, was covered "asphalt and tar" .

Peach Lake is the largest, but not the only asphalt lake in the world. They are in California. This The La Brea Tar Pits (Los Angeles ), McKittrick Tar Pits (McKittrick ) And Carpinteria Tar Pits (Carpinteria ). Asphalt lakes, which are the product of the weathering of accumulated oil, are also known in the Red Sea region in Turkmenistan(lake Cheleken), V Venezuela(lake Guanoco (Guanoco )), V Azerbaijan and on the island Sakhalin there are several asphalt lakes, one of which has an area of ​​about 3 hectares...

Publications used in the preparation of the article:
1. Asphalt Lake(material from smerchweb.com)
2. "Asphalt Lake Peach Lake in Trinidad and Tobago"(material from the site probudites.ru)
3. Asphalt Lake(Material from the site Dudelka. version 2)
4. "Unusual places. Asphalt lake"(material of the blog "Life and its facets")
5. "Peach Lake Asphalt Lake"(Material from Mandala.ru website)
6. "Pitch Lake"(Wikipedia material)

A short video about the asphalt lake:

Peach Lake is located, which is a major source of natural bitumen.

Interesting name

Originally translated from in English the name of Peach Lake - Pitch Lake means bituminous lake. In some cases, it is referred to as Peach Lake asphalt lake.

Where is Peach Lake located?

A bituminous lake was found in its southwestern part. Near the outlandish reservoir is the village of La Brea.

Lake Peach Lake on the map looks relatively small, because its area is only about 40 hectares, but studies have shown that average depth lakes are about 80 meters, and this is a lot for any body of water.

Indian Legend of Peach Lake

Indigenous people tell a legend, according to which, many hundreds of years ago, the Chima Indians lived on the site of the lake. Once, after a grand victory over an enemy tribe, a feast was arranged, during which the happy Indians cooked and ate many colorful hummingbirds, sacred birds of Trinidad.

According to the beliefs of the Indians, hummingbirds are considered the spirits of their ancestors due to their small weight and size. And in punishment, the terrible gods cursed and broke the earth and caused a stream of tar that covered the entire village and its inhabitants.

Of course, today this legend causes only a smile, since countless numbers of hummingbirds flutter on the island.

History of Peach Lake

The discoverer of the asphalt lake from the Old World was the navigator Walter Raleigh. He saw what the Indians impregnated their canoes with, and began to use the bitumen of Peach Lake for the resin work of the plating of their ships.

Geologists believe that the formation of the lake was due to a deep fault in the earth's crust and partial subsidence of one fault under the Caribbean Plate in the area Antilles in particular Barbados. Although a full study of the lake has not been carried out, it is believed that at the bottom it is slowly replenished with oil along the fault line. After that, the light components evaporate over time, while the heavy and viscous fractions remain.

In the middle of the 19th century, it was discovered that the bituminous Peach Lake could be used for construction and road work. The first street to be covered with natural asphalt was Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. And later they covered the alley leading to Buckingham Palace in London. And since then, the material has been used in the construction of bridges and highways, it is surprisingly viscous and homogeneous, does not melt at 40-degree heat and does not crack at 25-degree frost. Natural asphalt can withstand severe loads, so many runways in the world are made of it.

Why is Peach Lake famous?

It is considered the largest natural reservoir of asphalt. Similar "reservoirs" were later discovered in California, Venezuela, Turkmenistan and other places.

The surface of the lake is oily and viscous, at its depth there is a constant movement and chemical processes. A very interesting property of bituminous pits is the ability to absorb and return objects, even after millennia.

On Peach Lake, some interesting artifacts: part of the skeleton of a giant sloth that became extinct in these places more than 6 thousand years ago, a mastodon tooth, some items of Indian tribes. The most interesting find is the oldest tree that surfaced in 1928. Before it again plunged into bitumen, they managed to make a saw cut from it, according to which it was determined that the tree was about 4 thousand years old.

Peach Lake today

Even today, few people know that in Trinidad there is a lake consisting of oil. Nowadays, asphalt is actively mined on Lake Peach Lake; several tens of thousands of tons of material are mined from it every year. The reserves of the lake, according to experts, are about 6 million tons, and since they are considered renewable, the bitumen will last at least another 400 years. Almost all of the produced asphalt is exported.

In addition to its industrial significance, the lake is a local attraction; about 20 thousand people come here every year.

Oil beauty

It is interesting, but in the folds of the lake after the rain, water is visible for a long time, playing with oil films with a bright rainbow. It even has several applied islands with plants. A truck can also drive along the coastal surface, but if it stops, it will immediately begin to sink. Each pit, after extraction, levels off in about a week, gradually decreases and disappears without a trace. Therefore, do not underestimate physical processes and go far from the coast, especially on fresh spots.

And swimming in accumulated rainwater is not always safe. In general, you can’t ride a canoe on Peach Lake either.

How to get to the lake?

Local licensed tour operators organized excursions by jeep to the lake and back. The recommended hours for visiting Peach Lake are from 9 am to 5 pm, smoking is prohibited near the lake due to great content sulfur and methane in the air. It is necessary to take care of comfortable shoes and keep up with the guide, he will guide you hiking trail to the most interesting places.

There is an information center near the lake, where you can buy booklets about the bituminous lake and souvenirs, or take a guide if you want to walk on your own.

Peach Lake is what it's called natural lake filled with the purest liquid asphalt. It is also called bituminous lake. Located natural wonder Light on the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean.

Peach Lake is the name of a natural lake filled with the purest liquid asphalt. It is also called bituminous lake. The natural Wonder of the World is located on the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean.

The bituminous lake has a colossal area, approximately 40 hectares and a depth of about 80 meters. According to rough estimates, the reserves of asphalt in the lake are about 6 million tons. At the same time, tens of thousands of tons are pumped out of the lake every year. And if the production volumes do not increase, then the natural asphalt in the lake will be enough for at least 400 years.

The asphalt lake was discovered in 1595 by the traveler Walter Raleigh. In those days, bitumen was used to seal ship hulls. These days Peach Lake is attractive tourist attraction which is visited by more than 20 thousand tourists a year. In addition, pumped high-quality asphalt is successfully exported to many countries in the region.

According to one version, the Peach Lake bitumen lake was formed due to a deep fault in the Caribbean plate. It is assumed that because of the fault, the lake is filled with oil, the light components of which evaporate, leaving heavy fractions, which is the purest natural bitumen.

Interest in the asphalt lake Peach Lake is shown by various groups of scientists, including anthropologists. In particular, scientists are interested in the ability of the lake to keep the absorbed objects in their original state.

So, throughout the study of Peach Lake, a wide variety of household items were extracted from its depths. ancient man. In addition, a tree was raised to the surface, the age of which, according to rough estimates, is about four thousand years.

The unusual Peach Lake is located in the southwest of the island of Trinidad in Venezuela. main feature this natural reservoir is that the lake is the world's largest reservoir of natural asphalt! You can’t swim here, there is no fish here, but you can safely walk along the lake on your own two feet!

Name Pitch Lake translated from English as "bituminous lake". The reservoir has a rather impressive size: its area is about 40 hectares, and the depth in some places reaches 80 meters. And this whole reservoir is filled with pure liquid asphalt!
amazing lake discovered by Walter Raleigh in 1595. The Englishman immediately found a use for bitumen, which they began to use to grind the wooden plating of ships.

Approximate reserves of asphalt in the lake are estimated at more than 6 million tons! Every year, about 50 thousand tons of high-quality asphalt is mined here, which is exported. At such a rate of extraction, the asphalt reserves in the lake will last for about 400 more years!

Thousands of tourists visit Peach Lake every year, attracted by the amazing opportunity to walk on the lake. The surroundings of Peach Lake are rather unremarkable and represent dozens of hectares of gray-brown mud. On the surface of the lake there are "islands of land" - small islands, which somehow grow low, frail trees.

Almost the entire surface of the lake is so strong that even an adult can walk on it. This is what most tourists enjoy. This occupation, although quite interesting, is extremely dirty! However, some places may seem solid only in appearance, and you run the risk of falling knee-deep, or even waist-deep into the black "waters" of Peach Lake ...

Despite the fact that the surface of the lake is relatively strong and resilient, something is constantly bubbling in its depths. Thick waves slowly spread across the surface of the lake, and sometimes the bitumen in Peach Lake begins to seethe and bubble ...

One of the properties of bituminous pits is the ability to easily absorb various objects that are well preserved in the depths of Peach Lake. So many skeletons of various animals have already been found on the lake (for example, a giant sloth that lived back in the Pleistocene), various Indian objects. One of the most interesting finds was a tree extracted from the depths of the lake in 1928. A cut was made from the tree, according to which it was determined that the age of the find was about 4 thousand years! In addition, during the extraction of asphalt, several dinosaur skeletons were raised from the bottom of the lake.

What is the origin of such strange lake?! It turns out that the depression on which the lake was formed was once the crater of a volcano and is still connected to its mouth. It is from there that oil rises to the surface, but as it moves up, it loses some of its volatile substances, gradually turning into liquid asphalt!

As mentioned above, asphalt from Lake Pich-Lake is mined mainly for export. For example, the Pall Mall alley in London, leading to Buckingham Palace, is lined with just this natural asphalt from the amazing lake of Trinidad.

The island of Trinidad in Venezuela is famous for Peach Lake. By this lake geographical feature can be called a stretch, since it is not a body of water. It cannot be called a body of water, since there is no water in it, it consists of elastic oily asphalt. What did the Indians who lived near the lake impregnate their canoes with? It is this substance that has long been used by the Indians to lubricate canoes, and yet one can find an incorrect statement that the impregnation was carried out with agave juice, although agave grows in Venezuela, a sweet syrup is extracted from it, which is eaten.

bituminous lake

There are only a few bituminous lakes in the world, for example, the Venezuelan lake Bermudez, the Azerbaijani lake Bingadi, and there is a similar object in California. Peach Lake itself on the island of Trinidad is used by a local Indian tribe called the Caribs, they took bitumen and impregnated their boats with it, since this substance does not let water through. One settlement, Santa Rosa, is still located on the shores of the lake, among the inhabitants of the community there are descendants of the Caribs.

In North and Central America, explorers, pioneers, warriors, traders, hunters used canoes for several reasons:

1. Boats are actually made from improvised materials, you can stretch the bark on a frame made of branches, you can use leather and even dense matter for sheathing if you soak it with bitumen.
2. The vessel is very light, if necessary, it can be carried by two people, if it is loaded. And if the boat is empty, then it can be transported alone.
3. When the boat is not needed, it can be burned, using it to build a fire.
4. The upturned boat can be used as an overnight shelter and also as an umbrella that covers luggage.
5. It is possible to transport large and heavy loads over wooded rough terrain (boats can be carried between rivers).
6. If necessary, you can pull the sail and with the help of oar power you can even go against the current.
7. You can move faster than anything else, which means you can have an advantage over other hunters, merchants or warriors.

Peach Lake means "bitumen lake". Instead of water, it contains asphalt, and this substance is concentrated in one place so much that it is considered the world's largest reservoir of bitumen. The area of ​​the lake is 40 hectares, the depth reaches 80 meters.

Reserves of natural asphalt - 6 million tons. Now bitumen is mined at the state level, tens of thousands of tons are mined every year, and the reserves should last for 400 years. A lot of bitumen is exported. The lake was discovered by Walter Raleigh in 1595, who tarred the court with a viscous material. Subsequently, wooden boats and other water-repellent surfaces were treated with this resin by both Indians and Europeans who lived on the banks of Peach Lake.

Since 1867, industrial development has been underway, since then about ten million tons of bitumen have been mined. This resinous material is used to treat roads in Trinidad and Tobago, the islands Caribbean, as well as in the UK, Egypt, Japan, Singapore, India.

Location of Peach Lake

IN North America The Indians made canoes from birch bark. Moreover, one tree was enough to make one boat, but, apparently, they took a large tree. IN Central America canoes were also made from materials that were mined in the rainforest.

natural monument

Bitumen is formed from oil, and the island has oil and gas deposits. Near the island is a deep fault in the earth's crust in the region of Barbados. There is a theory that oil feeds the bitumen lake through this fault.

According to legend, there was an Indian settlement on the site of the lake, which, as a result of the cataclysm, went underground. It's scary to be near the lake - the surface natural monument swaying, the bituminous mass is restless, seething. Bitumen can absorb objects, but as a result of a cycle that is invisible to humans, absorbed things can float to the surface after many years and even millennia. Thus, objects belonging to local Indians, a mastodon tooth, and the bones of a fossil giant sloth were found. Also, a tree was found on the surface in 1928, which, according to the annual rings, which were counted by saw cut, grew four thousand years ago. After the study, the tree was again absorbed by the bituminous mass.

Tourism

Every year, the lake is visited by 20 thousand people, so that locals can also earn money from tourists. Tourists visit the lake mainly during the rainy season, at this time in the reservoirs in the lake and by the lake you can swim, it is saturated with sulfur warm water considered useful. The lake has information Center for tourists, where you can see a museum dedicated to Peach Lake.

You can walk on the surface of the lake, but only with a guide, otherwise you can fall into the lake and get bogged down, this is a danger to life. Especially a lot dangerous places closer to the center of the lake. Walking on the lake is not suitable for everyone - the air is filled with sulfur. It is necessary to observe safety precautions - it is better to walk in comfortable trekking boots, smoking is prohibited due to fumes of flammable methane.

On the island you can see the boats of the natives, the guide will tell you how the Indians soaked their canoes with bitumen. In addition, you can try different National dishes, which often includes agave.