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

Dec 5, 2023Castles in the Bavarian Alps
Dec 5, 2025Maya site of Copán, Honduras

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 9, 2024Tulip fields in spring, Skagit Valley, Washington, USA
Jun 9, 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Navarra, Spain
Jan 31, 2025Plains zebras, South Africa
Mar 21, 2024Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
Jul 17, 2024Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
Dec 31, 2025Oberbaum Bridge, Berlin, Germany
Nov 17, 2025Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, United States
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose
Jun 29, 2025Blue lagoon of Pulau Ay, Banda Islands, Indonesia
Sep 3, 2024Crystal Lake in the Enchantments, Washington, United States
Jan 13, 2026Vale of Clwyd, Wales
Jan 25, 2025Porto, Portugal
Oct 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon, USA
Jul 16, 2024Skara Brae, Scotland
May 4, 2025Plaza de España, Seville, Spain
Nov 25, 2023Toledo, Spain
Dec 22, 2025Alte Brücke Bridge, Frankfurt, Germany
Oct 27, 2023Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Sep 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore
Dec 18, 2023Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA
Oct 3, 2024Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Dec 20, 2024Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Feb 11, 2026Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California, USA
Jan 23, 2024Maldives
Oct 7, 2025Autumn colours below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado, United States
Feb 2, 2025Alpine marmot
Jan 5, 2024Bavarian Alps, Germany
Oct 21, 2024Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
Dec 9, 2025Guanaco, Argentina
Aug 9, 2025Letters Square Roundabout, Manaus, Brazil