A Stunning Landscape of Tufa Towers and Brine Shrimp

Mono Lake is a saline soda lake situated at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is an otherworldly landscape with tufa towers which are formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate from the lake's alkaline waters. The towers are really photogenic and I was delighted by the creative composition I could make using my sensors. The water is filled with brine shrimp and alkali flies, which are interesting creatures to observe in their thousands. They sustain grebes and other birds that migrate through the region. I observed the changing colors of the lake during sunrise and sunset when the shadows transform the landscape into an image like an abstract painting. What a wonderful place to visit! As compared to Yellowstone, the presence of algae in the lake gives it a green tinge. The lake has no visible outlets, and water escapes only through evaporation.