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

Tufa formation on Mono Lake, California, United States

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
5 Dec 2023Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
5 Dec 2025Maya site of Copán

More Desktop Wallpapers:

20 Jan 2024Macaroni penguins
In the foothills of Snowdon
Sep 11, 2023Patriot Day
3 Aug 2024Three Natural Bridges, Wulong National Park, China
Race to the finish
22 Jan 2025Ad-Deir, Petra, Jordan
23 Aug 2024Prasat Phanom Rung temple ruins, Thailand
A Balearic islet
20 Mar 2024Spring equinox
11 Jun 2024Gemsboks in the savannah, Botswana
18 Dec 2024English National Ballet performing The Nutcracker
1 Jul 2025Happy Canada Day!
27 Jun 2025Splendid leaf frog
19 Apr 2024Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
26 Jul 2025International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
21 Apr 2024London Marathon
Whats a distaff?
Season of light in the City of Light
29 Dec 2025St Gregory Church in Ani Ruins, Kars, Türkiye
7 Apr 2026International Beaver Day
23 Feb 2025Mount Fuji Day
24 Aug 2024Notting Hill Carnival
23 Jul 2026Pink dahlia flower
1 Mar 2026Saint Davids Day
13 Oct 2023Vieste, Apulia, Italy
6 Apr 2025Gaztelugatxe islet, Basque Country, Spain
12 Nov 2023Diwali
9 Jun 2026Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Single file, please!
4 Nov 2023Playa del Silencio, Spain