Petroleum seep

Okay kiddo, so you know how sometimes when you have a cut on your finger, blood comes out? Well, the earth also has cuts, but instead of blood, something called petroleum comes out.

Petroleum is a type of oil that can be found deep underground. Sometimes, this oil can leak out naturally through cracks in the earth and make its way to the surface. This is what we call a petroleum seep.

When you go to the beach and see those black, tar-like patches on the sand or in the water, that's sometimes because of the petroleum seep. It's not very good for the animals living in the water, like fish and crabs, because it can be toxic and make them sick.

However, people can also use petroleum for things like making gasoline for cars, heating our homes, or making plastic for toys and other things we use every day. So while petroleum seeps can be bad for the environment, they can also be useful to us if we use them in a safe and responsible way.