Alien Spires

Bizarre tufa towers rise from the alkaline lake like alien sculptures

Mono Lake's tufa towers formed over thousands of years as underwater springs rich in calcium mixed with the lake's carbonate-heavy waters, precipitating calcium carbonate into these otherworldly spires. This ancient lake, over 1 million years old, is three times saltier than the ocean and highly alkaline, creating a unique ecosystem that supports trillions of brine shrimp and alkali flies, which in turn feed millions of migratory birds.