Tufa Formations, Mono Lake

Tufa formations at Mono Lake. Tufas are formed when very pure fresh water bubbles up from underground springs in the lakebed into the highly mineralized water of Mono Lake. When this happens, the minerals in the surrounding lake water sediment out and form concrete-like hollow tubes and other formations around the spring water. When the lake levels recede, the tufas are exposed. At one point in the not too distant past, (within the last century) most of these tufas were completely submerged. Some of them are twice my height, which should give you an idea of how much water was taken out of Mono Lake in the mid-20th century.