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When you see Mono Lake, you might not be surprised that scientists have come here to study how life might have developed on alien planets. The water here is highly alkaline, meaning it’s somewhat like a strange, liquid soap, and curious shapes rise from it. These mysterious, crumbling pillars of white rock are called tufa towers. Mono Lake is full of carbonates (substances a bit like baking powder), and underwater springs carry calcium from below ground up into the lake. Carbonates and calcium produce a chemical reaction when combined, creating limestone. Over time, the limestone created at the spring openings built up higher and higher, eventually forming a tufa tower up to 30 feet tall.
Mono Lake has been forming over almost a million years, and it’s filled with more than just carbonates. Water can enter Mono Lake, but there is no way for it to leave. The only way out is through evaporation, and when water evaporates, it leaves behind all of the salts and minerals it had been carrying with it. Through many millennia, evaporation caused these salts and minerals to build up inside Mono Lake, making the water here 2.5 times as salty as the ocean. The hardy species that call this place home, though, don’t mind. Alkali flies, for example, spend most of their lives underwater. Brine shrimp also thrive here and provide food for millions of migratory birds.
When you visit Mono Lake, you’ll also discover another fun trait this lake has. Like the Dead Sea in Jordan, the water at Mono Lake supports your body, helping you float naturally. In this chapter, you’ll learn about the science that makes this--and other aquatic properties--possible.