Natural oil seepage at coal oil point, santa barbara, california.

Aerial, surface, and underwater investigations reveal that natural seeps off Coal Oil Point, California, introduce about 50 to 70 barrels (approximately 8,000 to 11,000 liters) of oil per day into the Santa Barbara Channel. The resulting slicks are several hundred meters wide and are of the order of 10(-5) centimeters thick; tarry masses within these slicks frequently wash ashore.