Photo: Lake Tufa Towers Rock Formations

Like a series of stalagmites rising from the floor of a cave, this row tufa towers stand out in the middle of Mono Lake, bizzare asymmetrical rock formations like something out of a fictional movie.

These tufa towers were created over hundreds of years of accumulation of minerals around the entrance of a spring into the lake. A chemical reaction takes place that causes the minerals to solidify once they come into contact with the extreme alkaline salt lake.

The interesting spires grow under water until they reach the surface. Mono Lake has no outlet other than evaporation and now man made diversion of some of the tributaries to the lake have lowered the water level leaving some of the tufa towers high and dry. It is possible to see some of these rock formations high up on the shore.

This picture shows a cluster of tufa towers and their reflections on the lake surface under a blue sky.

Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve SNR, California, USA

This picture is part of the photo album "Mono Lake Tufa SNR" - there are more beautiful images waiting for you.