Sand Tufa

These delicate formations are the lesser known, but no less fantastic cousins of the Mono Lake Tufa towers. The park literature describes them this way: " . . . sand tufas form where calcium-rich spring water reacts with Mono Lake's carbonate-rich water. If a spring percolates through sandy lake bottom, the sand becomes part of the solid tufa. When the lake level drops, the surrounding sand is washed or blown away, exposing these intricate and delicate shapes." The specimen pictured here is about 24-30 inches tall by about 48 inches wide.

Canon EOS 20D; 1/3200 @ f/4.0; 35mm; ISO 200; Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4; handheld.