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。