Editing Mono Lake (section)

===Tufa tower formation===
Mono Lake is a highly alkaline lake, or [[soda lake]]. [[Alkalinity]] is a measure of how many [[Base (chemistry)|bases]] are in a [[Solution (chemistry)|solution]], and how well the solution can neutralize [[acid]]s. [[Carbonate]] (CO<sub>3</sub><sup>2-</sup>) and [[bicarbonate]] (HCO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>) are both bases. Hence, Mono Lake has a very high content of [[Total inorganic carbon|dissolved inorganic carbon]]. Through supply of [[calcium]] ions (Ca<sup>2+</sup>), the water will precipitate [[Calcium carbonate|carbonate-minerals]] such as [[calcite]] (CaCO<sub>3</sub>). Subsurface waters enter the bottom of Mono Lake through small springs. High concentrations of dissolved calcium ions in these subsurface waters cause huge amounts of calcite to precipitate around the spring orifices.<ref name=":72">{{Cite journal|last=Dunn|first=James|date=1953|title=The origin of the deposits of tufa in Mono Lake|journal=Journal of Sedimentary Petrology|volume=23|pages=18–23|doi=10.1306/d4269530-2b26-11d7-8648000102c1865d}}</ref>

The tufa originally formed at the bottom of the lake. It took many decades or even centuries to form the well-recognized tufa towers. When lake levels fell, the tufa towers came to rise above the water surface and stand as the pillars seen today (see [[Mono lake#Lake Level History]] for more information).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.monolake.org/learn/aboutmonolake/naturalhistory/tufa/|title=Tufa|date=22 September 2020 |publisher=Mono Lake Committee|access-date=2023-05-29}}</ref>