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Places, Earth |
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Throughout the country, state parks, historic sites, homes, buildings, museums, and similar institutions are struggling to continue operating. Because of general financial problems, many of these institutions are operating on a reduced schedule or in danger of closing. Some are being forced to sell off artifacts and property. Many will not weather these hard times without your help. Places Earth urges everyone to support these vital and important public resources any way you can. Please donate your treasure, time, and talent. Write to your governor and other elected officials telling them to find a way to keep state parks open. It will be your loss. Public Service Announcement | Test space for future ad if donations don't increase. |
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Trona Pinnacles
All photographs taken by Kenneth A. Larson. All rights reserved. © 2005 - 2012.CONTENT
| In the Searles Valley, a few miles south of the historic mining town of Trona, lies the Trona Pinnacles, one of California's finest lost natural wonders. Formed by mineral rich springs on the floor of a now dry lake, these tufa towers reach high into the clear California dessert skies. Springs rich in calcium emerge from the underwater floor of the now dried lakes and combine with carbonates in the lakewater and with Bacteria to create these rising limestone towers surrounding the spring, some as much as 120 feet high. At Trona, the lake dried up naturally 3,500 years ago, at Mono Lake, another location in California with tufa towers, the water was consumed by Los Angeles. There are about five hundred tufa towers in three groups of formations and they were formed underwater between 10,000 to 100,000 years ago. |
| The three formations represent three separate ice ages when the lake level was at different heights. The northern formation is the youngest at about 10,000 - 25,000 years old. The middle formation is smaller with about 100 towers but has the tallest tufas, the tallest at 140 feet. The southern formation with about 200 tufa formations formed about 32,000 to 100,000 years ago. |
| Tufa come in different shapes such as towers, tombstones, ridges, and cones. Towers are taller than the width at the base and rise to 30 to 40 feet. Tombstones are stubby and squat and reach about 20 to 30 feet. Ridges are jagged weathered remains of once taller structures. Cones are less than 10 feet tall and rounder. Most tombstones are in the northern tufa formations. There are three ridges, one in the north and two in the middle formation. Cones are scattered throughout the site. |
| The base of one tower has a mine shaft, but it is doubtful that anything of value was found. |
| The site was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1968. |
| The Trona Pinnacles are on the south side of Highway 178, about 30 minutes east of Ridgecrest which is a few miles east of Highway 395. There is a turnoff to the south just as the road turns north. The town of Trona is about 10 minutes north. |
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| San Bernardino County Main Page |
This page last updated: Thursday, 06-Nov-2008 01:42:04 EST
| Note: This is not the official site for any of the places shown in Places Earth. Places Earth is not responsible for accuracy of the information. Hours of operations, prices, exhibits, and sometimes locations are subject to change without notice. |
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This web site started because of my love for Architecture and interest in History. This web site is for your benefit and I make no profit on it. I don't allow paid advertising. This site is supported primarily from my regular paycheck as a Set Designer and there haven' been many this year. I sell art at www.klimages.com. A non-tax deductable donation to help cover the cost of operating this web site may be made to Kesign Design Consulting through PayPal ... | ||
 You can buy candles from my wife. |
 Or donations can be mailed to the address on the contact page. |
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This site maintained by Kenneth A. Larson. Copyright © 2004 - 2012, Kenneth A. Larson. All Rights Reserved. Website content including photographic and graphic images may not be redistributed for use on another website. |
| This site is a non-commercial alternative to my commercial design portfolio site. This site's only purpose is for your enjoyment. There is no advertising and I make no profit. If you are in the need of a designer, please check my commercial site www.kesigndesign.com. |
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