Whimsical Towers 稀奇古怪的钙华塔

These pale gray and ivory "tufa towers," located in California's Mono Lake, may look like eerie art instillations, but they occur naturally and are made of limestone. Check out more of these fantastical towers.

这些浅灰色和象牙形的“钙华塔”，位于美国加州的莫诺湖，它们可能看起来像是令人毛骨悚然的艺术灌注物，然而它们是在自然界里由石灰岩所构成的。查看更多的这些神奇的钙华塔。

Moonlit Mono Lake 洒满月光的莫诺湖

Tufa, the unusual rock formations that jut out of Mono Lake in California's Eastern Sierra, are famous for their otherworldly beauty. The greatest concentration of these unique "towers" is located at the south end of the lake. In the photo above, the moon rises over one of the dark ivory towers.

凝灰岩，是突出在加利福尼亚州的东部雪乐山的莫诺湖面的不同寻常的岩层，以其超凡脱俗的美丽而闻名于世。这些独特的“塔”（钙华塔）最集中地积聚在莫诺湖的南端。在上面的照片中，月亮高高地挂在一个昏暗的“象牙塔”上面。

Limestone Buildup 石灰岩的构成

Made of limestone, tufa forms as a byproduct of the precipitation of carbonate minerals from surrounding water. When water from heated underwater hot springs rich in calcium meet with the carbonates in lake water, the result is calcium carbonate, also known as limestone.

凝灰岩是由石灰岩所组成，它是在其周围湖水里的碳酸盐矿物沉淀的副产品。当地下含钙丰富的温泉热水与湖水中的碳酸盐相逢时，就会生成碳酸钙，又称石灰岩。（译者注，由此形成的塔形物，一般称为钙华塔）

Sun Over Tufa 太阳照耀下的凝灰岩

The uncanny tufa formations take on a golden appearance at sunset.

离奇的凝灰岩地层在日落时所呈现出的金黄色外观。

A Chilling Scene 令人不寒而栗的场景

The formations look especially eerie in this photo, taken during a cool autumn morning.

上面是一张在凉爽的秋季早晨所拍摄的照片，其形态看来格外阴森恐怖。

Daybreak 黎明

Another strangely beautiful early morning shot of the tufa formations, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background.

这是另一张在清晨所拍摄形态奇怪而又美丽的凝灰岩照片，背景是内华达山脉。

By the Shore 在岸边

The tufa towers rise like giant sand castles, peeking above Mono Lake's surface.

钙华塔升高得像巨型的沙堡，它正在窥视着莫诺湖的表面。

Tufa Towers 钙华塔

The odd shapes that tufa take can sometimes resemble coral. Towers like these were once submerged, but gradually began to become visible as water was diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the surface level of Mono Lake fell.

凝灰岩有时可以具有像珊瑚那样的奇怪形状。像照片中的这些钙华塔一度曾被淹没，然而当湖水改道流入洛杉矶渡槽而在莫诺湖的水面降低的时候，它们会逐渐开始显露出来。

White Stone, Pink Mountains 粉红色山脉的白石

Mono Lake is what remains of a much larger Pleistocene lake known as Lake Russell, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Here, the lake is shown at sunrise.

据美国地质调查局，莫诺湖是一个更大的、称为罗素湖的更新世湖的遗迹。这里显示了湖面上的日出。

Grown Over 长高了

Mono Lake's tall grasses and shrubbery are shown growing along the bottom of this tufa formation.

莫诺湖的高茎草和灌木林沿着凝灰岩地层的底部生长起来。

Surreal Landscape 超现实主义的风景

The delicate white tufa towers formed where freshwater springs percolate up from the bottom of the lake.

柔和、白色的钙华塔形成于淡水泉从湖底渗透出来的地方。

Serene Scene 平静的场景

This photo of the towers was taken during wintertime. The more recent calcareous, or calcium carbonate, deposits that make up the tufa formations are closer to the bottom and lighter in color.

这些钙华塔的照片是在冬季拍摄的。钙质或碳酸钙越近现代，所构成凝灰岩地层的沉积物越靠近底部，颜色也比较浅。

Sunset on the Towers 钙华塔上面的日落

A sunset casts a warm glow over the tufa formations as seagulls forage for dinner.

当海鸥在寻找晚餐时，夕阳在凝灰岩地层上面投射了温暖的光辉。

Alabaster and Azure 光洁雪白和天蓝色

The tuPennalafa towers are seen in this reflection in Mono Lake's calm waters. However, the water's serene surface is sometimes disturbed by circular wave patterns that are caused by bubbles from freshwater springs rising to the top.

在莫诺湖平静的水面上反射出图喷那拉发塔（tuPennalafa towers） 。然而，湖水的宁静表面有时被圆状的波动图形所干扰，它是由气泡从淡水泉往上升到顶部所引起。

A Soft Sunset 柔和的日落

This stunning shot shows the towers' reflections against the salmon pink sky, with the periwinkle haze of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background.

这张极好的照片显示了反衬在橙红色天空里的钙华塔，背景是内华达山脉里玫瑰色的薄雾。