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:

How can we help at-risk animals?
A view that’s out of this world
Stop and smell the Sakura
A walk in the clouds
A one-of-a-kind splash
16 May 2024International Day of Light
On the open ocean road
Perfect day for a ride
20 Dec 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
19 Dec 2023Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland
Stripes in sight
30 Jan 2024Aýna, Albacete, Spain
17 Jun 2026Tremola Road on the Saint Gotthard Pass in Airolo, Switzerland
13 Oct 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
18 Dec 2023Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA
9 Dec 2023Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, USA
26 Apr 2025Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
2 Dec 2023Angkor, Cambodia
1 Sep 2024Totally Thames Festival, London
Beauty comes in trees
25 Aug 2024Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
16 Dec 2024Salzburg, Austria
21 Dec 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Bewitched by the fairy flower
21 Jun 2025Summer solstice
31 Mar 2024Happy Easter!
22 Feb 2025Gateway Arch in St Louis, Missouri, United States
25 Aug 2025Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
4 Dec 2024Wildlife Conservation Day
Look up, incoming…