Neptune Tufa
by Michael Gordon
Title
Neptune Tufa
Artist
Michael Gordon
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photograph
Description
Tufa is essentially common limestone. What is uncommon about this limestone is the way it forms. Typically, underwater springs rich in calcium mix with lake water rich in carbonates. As the calcium encounters carbonates in the lake, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate---limestone. The calcium carbonate precipitates around the spring, and over the course of decades to centuries, a tufa tower will grow.
In earlier years, when the water was high, Tufa Towers formed like posts jammed into the lake shore. In 1941, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began diverting Mono Lake's tributary streams to meet the growing water demands of Los Angeles.
In 1962, Mono Lake had already dropped almost 25 vertical feet. Deprived of its freshwater sources, the volume of Mono Lake halved, while its salinity doubled.
This Tufa formation resembles King Neptune, Neptune is the god of the sea in Roman mythology, a brother of Jupiter and Pluto. The Roman conception of Neptune owed a great deal to the Etruscan god Nethuns. Originally, he was an Italic god paired with Salacia, possibly the goddess of the salt water. At an early date (399 BC) he was identified with Poseidon, when the Sibylline books ordered a lectisternium in his honor (Livy v. 13). Neptune was associated as well with fresh water, as opposed to Oceanus, god of the world-ocean.
Mono Lake sits at the entrance to the Tioga Pass into Yosemite National Park at the intersection of US 395. Supported by a local community, Lee Vining, CA; the community provides visitor accommodations and visitor information on the lake and Tufa formations.
Uploaded
June 10th, 2017
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