環球之旅:與您共賞美國莫諾湖塔美麗的風貌

Whimsical Towers 稀奇古怪的鈣華塔

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.

這些淺灰色和象牙形的“鈣華塔”，位於美國加州的莫諾湖，它們可能看起來像是令人毛骨悚然的藝術灌注物，然而它們是在自然界裏由石灰岩所構成的。查看更多的這些神奇的鈣華塔。

Moonlit Mono Lake 灑滿月光的莫諾湖

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，是突出在加利福尼亞州的東部雪樂山的莫諾湖面的不同尋常的岩層，以其超凡脫俗的美麗而聞名於世。這些獨特的“塔”（鈣華塔）最集中地積聚在莫諾湖的南端。在上面的照片中，月亮高高地掛在一個昏暗的“象牙塔”上面。

Limestone Buildup 石灰岩的構成

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組成，它是在其周圍湖水裏的碳酸鹽礦物沉澱的副產品。當地下含鈣豐富的溫泉熱水與湖水中的碳酸鹽相逢時，就會生成碳酸鈣，又稱石灰岩。（譯者注，由此形成的塔形物，一般稱爲鈣華塔）

Sun Over Tufa 太陽照耀下的凝灰岩

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

離奇的凝灰岩地層在日落時所呈現出的金黃色外觀。

A Chilling Scene 令人不寒而慄的場景

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

上面是一張在涼爽的秋季早晨所拍攝的照片，其形態看來格外陰森恐怖。

Daybreak 黎明

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

這是另一張在清晨所拍攝形態奇怪而又美麗的凝灰岩照片，背景是內華達山脈。

By the Shore 在岸邊

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

鈣華塔升高得像巨型的沙堡，它正在窺視着莫諾湖的表面。

Tufa Towers 鈣華塔

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.

凝灰岩有時可以具有像珊瑚那樣的奇怪形狀。像照片中的這些鈣華塔一度曾被淹沒，然而當湖水改道流入洛杉磯渡槽而在莫諾湖的水面降低的時候，它們會逐漸開始顯露出來。

White Stone, Pink Mountains 粉紅色山脈的白石

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.

據美國地質調查局，莫諾湖是一個更大的、稱爲羅素湖的更新世湖的遺蹟。這裏顯示了湖面上的日出。

Grown Over 長高了

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

莫諾湖的高莖草和灌木林沿着凝灰岩地層的底部生長起來。

Surreal Landscape 超現實主義的風景

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

柔和、白色的鈣華塔形成於淡水泉從湖底滲透出來的地方。

Serene Scene 平靜的場景

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.

這些鈣華塔的照片是在冬季拍攝的。鈣質或碳酸鈣越近現代，所構成凝灰岩地層的沉積物越靠近底部，顏色也比較淺。

Sunset on the Towers 鈣華塔上面的日落

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

當海鷗在尋找晚餐時，夕陽在凝灰岩地層上面投射了溫暖的光輝。

Alabaster and Azure 光潔雪白和天藍色

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.

在莫諾湖平靜的水面上反射出圖噴那拉發塔（tuPennalafa towers） 。然而，湖水的寧靜表面有時被圓狀的波動圖形所幹擾，它是由氣泡從淡水泉往上升到頂部所引起。

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.

這張極好的照片顯示了反襯在橙紅色天空裏的鈣華塔，背景是內華達山脈裏玫瑰色的薄霧。