Mono Lake has no natural outlet. Over time, minerals and other chemicals have built up in its water until it is now saltier than the ocean and as alkaline as chlorine bleach. Fresh-water springs pump calcium-laden water up from the lake's bottom, and the reaction of the two create rocks that build up like stalagmites in a cave. Until the lake's water was diverted in the 1940s, these "tufa" towers were hidden under water, but today they stand above the water level like an odd, abandoned city.
This picture was taken at South Tufa Reserve, a common stopping point for visitors. The tufa towers here are worn from people climbing on them, hiding the delicate texture you'll see in the other tufa picture in this gallery, which was taken from a boat.
