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
Dec 5, 2025Maya site of Copán

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 27, 2025Ganesh Chaturthi
Jul 17, 2025Lavender fields in Plateau de Valensole, France
Secluded sands in Mexico
Back to the future
Bring out the king cakes
Aug 20, 2024Sunrise at Grand Teton National Park
A mountaintop cultural wonder
Feb 20, 2025Red deer, Canada
Feb 25, 2025Castle Stalker, Argyll, Scotland
Giddy family fun
Ready for a thrill ride
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
May 8, 2025World Donkey Day
Apr 27, 2025Coastal redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, California, United States
Jul 16, 2024A hammock in Central Florida, USA
Sep 4, 2023Whale shark, Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Oct 22, 2024Palazzo Zuccari, Rome
Apr 23, 2025Shakespeare Day
Aug 17, 2025Lyngvig Lighthouse, Hvide Sande, Denmark
May 30, 2024Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
The bears of summer
A legend sprung from the ground
Dec 14, 2023Boreal owl
Sep 10, 2024Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal
Oct 15, 2023European hedgehog
Mar 24, 2024Silvereyes
The sprout with amazing potential
Apr 9, 2024Black bear cub emerges into spring
Sep 27, 2023Via Krupp, Capri, Italy
Chilling out on an ice floe