Excerpts taken from "Trinidad and Bermudez Asphalts article (Popular Science Jul 1912)" which can be viewed
here.
"The Island of Trinidad while not directly connected with the chain of islands of volcanic origin known as the Windward or Caribbean Islands, is directly on the great line of volcanic disturbances running from these to the continent of South America and its volcanic regions. Many of the Windward Islands are still possessed of active vents, so that Trinidad may be looked upon, with its thermal springs and pitch deposits, as being situated at the lowest point between the mountainous volcanic chains of the West Indies and those of South America. More than two thirds of the surface is Tertiary or recent origin, including the entire southern portion, where the pitch deposits are located. The formations consist of clay, loose sand, shales, limestones, calcareous sandstones, indurated clays, porcelainites of brilliant colors, with pitch deposits here and there. The beds have been considerably disturbed and have a at times a large dip. In a series of sands, clays and shales lies the pitch lake.
While there are deposits of pitch scattered all over the island, the only ones of commercial importance are those situated on La Brea Point..."
Trinidad is different in composition to the chain of the other West Indies islands. Note the series of different materials where Pitch Lake is found. A series of natural resistors/conductors in a natural electric circuit?"The main deposit is a body of pitch known as the pitch lake, situated at the highest part of the point. Between this and the sea, and more especially towards La Brea, are other deposits, covered more or less and mixed with soil. The pitch from these sources is classified as "lake pitch" and "land pitch".
By far the largest amount of pitch is found apparently in the pitch lake, a neaby circular area of 114.67 acres, 138-feet above sea level. From the lake the ground falls away on all sides, except, perhaps, for a slight ridge to the east and southeast, in fact, it seems plain that this deposit lies in the crater of a large mud volcano which has been filled up with pitch.
In past times the pitch very probably continued to collect until it overflowed the rim of the crater, particularly toward the north, and thus perhaps became the source of some or all of the land pitch deposits now found between the lake and the sea."
Pitch Lake is found on the highest part of the land in its area. Why does the pitch not naturally find a lower point to come out of, why does it not spurt out much lower down. Is the height and the area spefic for the creation of the pitch and bringing it to the surface. Why it is constantly moving and submerged objects re appear years later.
Notice that the idea of the pitch still be produced or pushed upwards for some reason is mentioned in the fact that it might overflow."In the center of the so-called lake is a point where there is a continued influx of soft material, accompanied by a stronger evolution of gas, which gradually hardens and becomes like the remainder of the deposit. The point of evolution of the soft material moves about from place to place along lines of least resistance. As that evolved at one point hardens the fresh material breaks out elsewhere. It is peculiar in that it is associated with so much free water which rises with it, that it can be handled freely and made into a ball without adhering to the hands. It is in an active state of changes, since if it is sealed in a tin can the gas evolved will, in a few weeks, burst the containing vessel."
Is the mother pitch, the soft material, being transformed at the surface, where these is a difference in potential energy between it and the atmosphere and all the chemical reactions(transformations/exchanges) that can occur? Once it has started it does not stop as it is now part of the natural energy cycle in an electric universe.
The water is part of the process and is it being created as part of the exchange?"The water is probably of thermal origin, as it contains borates and iodides. Chlorides and sulphates of sodium are the predominating salts, sulphate of ammonia in marked amount, while chloride of potassium, lime and magnesium and ferrous iron are present. It is impossible to seperate the water from the bitumen without change, but in the old methods of refining pools it would collect on the surface of the asphalt"
Not sea water which is close by but "fresh" water."As to the depth of the lake, borings made in 1894 at the center, were carried to a depth of 135 feet, by means of a wash drill, the entire distance being through asphalt of the same character as that at the surface. This result shows the great depth of the crater, and the uniformity of the material which it contains.
The material forming this deposit is an emulsion of water, gas, bitumen and mineral matter, the latter consisting largely of fine sand and a lesser amount of clay. It is in constant motion, owing to the surface, whether deep or shallow, it rapidly fills up, and the surface resumes its orginal level after a short time."
The pitch seems to be constant throughout the depths of the lake, no contamination, no changes to its composition although it is supposedly millions of years old. Somehow the pitch has remained the same.
The fine sand and clay is part of the creation process of the pitch, not a contaminate.
The pitch is constantly being created, that is why it refills holes dug, why so much has been removed without a massive difference to its level.For many years Trinidad asphalt was supposed to contain a considerable amount of organic matter not of a bituminous nature, but an investigation conducted by me in 1908 showed that this really consistsof the water hydration of the clay forming part of the mineral matter, which was lost on ignition after the removal of the bitumen by solvents, and that, as a matter of fact, there is practically nothing of the nature of organic matter not bitumen which has hererofore been attributed to Trinidad asphalt.
In direct contract to this acid water is that which rises with the soft pitch in the center of the lake, which is alkaline in reaction...
It is noticeable that this bitument is characterized by the large percentage of sulphur which it contains, by the presencee of nitrogen, and by the absence of oxygen.
"TRINIDAD PETROLEUM
There has recently been developed on the Island of Trinidad, in the neighborhood of the pitch lake, a new source of binding or cementing material...It has been called a liquid asphalt, and must have been the source of the asphalt found in the main deposit, and of the material which now forms the soft spot in the soft spot in the middle of the lake. it was recognized in the earliest days of the Trinidad asphalt industry that the millions of tons of asphalt existing in the old crater must be associated with some mother source of bitument. Long before the asphalt was used on any industrial scale, attempts to reach this and obtain petroleum were made. A comparatively shallow well was sunk not far from the lake, and a heavy liquid asphalt was discovered....Success has now crowned the efforts to obtain this liquid asphalt in commercial quantities, and it is now available for road construction...This petroleum is truly asphaltic and carries no solid or heavey paraffine hydrocarbons. It is distinquished by the fact that it yields a high percecntage of light distillites or "tops" for an oil of such low gravity...while the residue is truly asphaltic resembling that found in the lake deposit, but of course free from mineral matter and water...The oil is further distinquished by the fact that it carries a very considerable percentage of sulphur, in the neighborhood of 3 per cent.and it is evident that the sulphur found in the Trinidad crude asphalt is derived, at least in part, from this source."
Trinidad Petroleum or Liquid Asphalt - does this show that Pitch Lake itself changes/transforms the natural bitumen in the area or that the rest of the land in Trinidad converts it to something different?
Notice that although supposed to be the source for Pitch Lake it does not contain mineral matter or water?
Taking the Pitch?
Many locals will tell you the lake is self-replenishing but that is not true. The level is dropping steadily as the asphalt is shipped around the world for road construction projects. One estimate says that at the removal of 300 tons per day, the current level, will deplete the lake within a half century.
Pitch Lake - guidetocaribbeanvacations .com
The deposit is worked with picks to a depth of a foot or two, and the excavations soon become filled up by the plastic material flowing in from below and hardening.
La Brea - Encyclopedia Britannica
Very large quantities are exported for paving and other purposes, the annual shipments amounting to about 130,000 tons from the lake and about 30,000 tons from other properties. The amount of asphalt in the lake has been estimated at 158,400 tons for each foot of depth, and if the average depth be taken at 20 ft. this would give a total of 3,168,000 tons; but in 1908, though 1,885,000 tons had been removed in the previous thirty-five years, there was but little evidence of reduction in the quantity.
La Brea - Encyclopedia Britannica
Roy said that a forty foot by forty foot hole completely fills itself in within 3 days.
richard-seaman .com
Millions of tons have been removed from Pitch Lake in Trinidad yet it keeps "refilling". Where does all this material come from? If there is so much material why does it not continually flow upwards and outwards? Could it be created where it is found, not millions of years ago but now?
"The Shrubs and trees occur in a few cases known as islands. These patches move from place to place with the movement of the ptich at the surface. The main mass of asphalt is a broad expanse of pitch made up of seperate areas of irregular outline, but at times quite circular, which are seperated by channels, filled with rain water, which prevents their coalescence. The boundaries are depressed and the center of the areas is always somewhat elevated above the edges, that is to say, they are mushroom-like. The origin of the seperate areas evidently lies in the constant movement of the crude material, due to the evolution of gas at the center, from which point the pitch rolls over towards the edges.... This illustrates very well the activity of the entire surface of the deposit, although it is much more active near the center of the lake."
The surface is active and this is where you find the water and other exchange material. The Liquid Asphalt does not have water in it but water is found in Pitch Lake. Is this due to Pitch Lake being alive and part of the Electric Earth in an Electric Universe?
