Tufa formation on Mono Lake, California, United States Dec 5, 2024

Shaped by the slow passage of time, tufa—a type of porous limestone—emerges as one of nature"s most spectacular formations. While these towers can be found in many places, today"s image showcases them at Mono Lake in Mono County, California, United States. These structures develop when calcium-rich fresh water, flowing into the lake from several creeks and streams, mixes with the lake"s alkaline water. Over centuries, this interaction caused calcium carbonate to build up, forming tufa spires above the lake"s surface. To preserve the tufa towers, the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve was established in 1981 by the California State Legislature.

© Susanna Patras/TANDEM Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

Santa slalom
Dec 5, 2023Castles in the Bavarian Alps

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Racing through the five boroughs
Apr 6, 2024Himeji Castle, Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
A feel of an era bygone
Sep 23, 2024Sea otter in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA
Jun 28, 2025Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising
Apr 8, 2024Burrowing owl chicks
Jan 27, 2025Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Apr 5, 2025Gaztelugatxe islet at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
Nov 22, 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
God’s Own Country
Apr 23, 2025Shakespeare Day
Sep 21, 2023International Day of Peace
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England
Sunlight turning silver to gold
May 26, 2024Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington, USA
Pride and Joy
May 21, 2025International Tea Day
Jul 8, 2024Blueberries growing in the wild
What are these unique creatures?
Aug 6, 2025Ring-tailed lemur
Nov 27, 2024Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
May 7, 2024A duckling swimming in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
May 11, 2025Happy Mothers Day!
Boardwalk nostalgia
Back to the future
Where is this ethereal mountain?
Where are these spectacular peaks?
Jan 30, 2025Rolands Breach, Spain
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Apr 6, 2025Dolphins near Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal