# Does oil ever naturally come up from the ocean floor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2010, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-oil-ever-naturally-come-up-from-the-ocean-floor/540940 "2010-05-27T13:11:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-oil-ever-naturally-come-up-from-the-ocean-floor/540940/1 "2010-05-27T13:11:07Z")
With all the geological shaking and moving, erupting, quaking, shifting, etc. that goes on around the planet, does anything like the Gulf oil leak ever occur naturally? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-oil-ever-naturally-come-up-from-the-ocean-floor/540940/2 "2010-05-27T13:36:57Z")
[Yes](http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2010/04/100426-asphalt-volcanoes-domes-california-underwater/) - asphalt domes formed from underwater oil flows found off California. Si ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-oil-ever-naturally-come-up-from-the-ocean-floor/540940/3 "2010-05-27T14:05:56Z")
Seeps occur naturally but the oil isn’t released into the ocean at anything near the same _rate_ as what was leaking from the BP well. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-oil-ever-naturally-come-up-from-the-ocean-floor/540940/4 "2010-05-27T17:01:06Z")
Actually, I was doing a bit of my own research, and found several cites that say that the total amount of oil released from natural seeps is about the same as the total amount released by spills. [Here’s one:](http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10388&page=2) > [@](#): > > Natural seepage of crude oil from geologic formations below the seafloor to the marine environment off North America is estimated to exceed 160,000 tonnes (47,000,000 gallons), and 600,000 tonnes (180,000,000 gallons) globally, each year. Natural processes are therefore, responsible for over 60 percent of the petroleum entering North American waters, and over 45 percent of the petroleum entering the marine environment worldwide. These natural seeps aren’t as catastrophic, however, since they’re spread out and each only releases a relative trickle. Some fraction of the oil forms tarry deposits, others are volatile and eventually evaporate, and marine microorganisms will (slowly) eat what they can. Natural seeps do not release huge plumes of oil into delicate ecosystems… ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-oil-ever-naturally-come-up-from-the-ocean-floor/540940/5 "2010-05-27T17:11:57Z")
Most romantic walks on the beach in Santa Barbara end with baby oil - for getting the tar off the soles of your feet. It’s very common for tar and oil to seep out of the sea floor in California. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-oil-ever-naturally-come-up-from-the-ocean-floor/540940/6 "2010-05-29T00:01:50Z")
> **[National Geographic](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/)** > > Explore National Geographic. A world leader in geography, cartography and exploration.