<p>Natural oil seeps are not unusual, the light components evaporate leaving "tar". Then an earthquake could cause a release of gas which if in just the right location could blow the tar into the air.  Normally the gas escapes through the tar and throws it only a very shot distance, like an inch.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-27T20:08:00.507Z
2017-12-27T22:30:15.327Z
2017-12-27T22:30:15.327Z
blacksmith37
<p>I'm reading about Sodom and Gomorrah on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodom_and_Gomorrah#Historicity" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a> when I come across this:
"One such idea is that the Dead Sea was devastated by an earthquake between 2100 and 1900 BCE. This might have unleashed showers of steaming tar."</p>

<p>What is a "tar shower?"  Are there any documented cases of this?  When I googled this, it went to the visual dictionary referenced in the Wikipedia article, which didn't explain the concept either.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-27T11:24:41.837Z
This question has been cross posted on [SE History] (https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/42595/what-is-a-tar-shower)
Fred
<meteorology><earthquakes><earth-history>
What is a "tar shower?"
fourierwho
# What is a "tar shower?"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-27)

I'm reading about Sodom and Gomorrah on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodom_and_Gomorrah#Historicity) when I come across this:
"One such idea is that the Dead Sea was devastated by an earthquake between 2100 and 1900 BCE. This might have unleashed showers of steaming tar."

What is a "tar shower?" Are there any documented cases of this? When I googled this, it went to the visual dictionary referenced in the Wikipedia article, which didn't explain the concept either.

**Tags:** meteorology, earthquakes, earth-history

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This question has been cross posted on [SE History] (https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/42595/what-is-a-tar-shower)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-12-27. Score: 1

Natural oil seeps are not unusual, the light components evaporate leaving "tar". Then an earthquake could cause a release of gas which if in just the right location could blow the tar into the air. Normally the gas escapes through the tar and throws it only a very shot distance, like an inch.


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