"Magic and Wonder" Mono Lake, The Eastern Sierras, California
"The world is incomprehensibly beautiful -- an endless prospect of magic and wonder." --Ansel Adams
As always, a huge thanks to those who stop by to view, fave and or comment! It is truly appreciated...
Mono Lake is one of the Eastern Sierra's most spectacular (and perhaps most bizarre) of California's natural wonders. It's surrounded by the grand beauty of the rugged, granite-peaked Sierra Nevada Mountains, but it's not the spectacular beauty that make Mono Lake unique. Mono lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America and has been dubbed "California's Dead Sea" because it's 2 and 1/2 times as salty as the ocean. Its lack of an outlet contributes to Mono Lake's saltiness as well as its extreme alkalinity. Freshwater streams that feed Mono Lake have washed salts and minerals into the lake for years and years. As fresh water naturally evaporates into the atmosphere, the minerals are left behind, becoming increasingly concentrated over time. One of the most unique features of Mono Lakes is its tufa towers. The towers are spires of porous "rock" that looks like moon rock. They are formed when natural fresh water springs interact with the highly alkaline lake water and give Mono Lake its unique "landscape." (visitmammoth.com)
"Magic and Wonder" Mono Lake, The Eastern Sierras, California
"The world is incomprehensibly beautiful -- an endless prospect of magic and wonder." --Ansel Adams
As always, a huge thanks to those who stop by to view, fave and or comment! It is truly appreciated...
Mono Lake is one of the Eastern Sierra's most spectacular (and perhaps most bizarre) of California's natural wonders. It's surrounded by the grand beauty of the rugged, granite-peaked Sierra Nevada Mountains, but it's not the spectacular beauty that make Mono Lake unique. Mono lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America and has been dubbed "California's Dead Sea" because it's 2 and 1/2 times as salty as the ocean. Its lack of an outlet contributes to Mono Lake's saltiness as well as its extreme alkalinity. Freshwater streams that feed Mono Lake have washed salts and minerals into the lake for years and years. As fresh water naturally evaporates into the atmosphere, the minerals are left behind, becoming increasingly concentrated over time. One of the most unique features of Mono Lakes is its tufa towers. The towers are spires of porous "rock" that looks like moon rock. They are formed when natural fresh water springs interact with the highly alkaline lake water and give Mono Lake its unique "landscape." (visitmammoth.com)