It’s hard to tell from these images how tall these bizarre formations are. Are they towering pinnacles hundred of feet high, or are they so tiny they could be crushed underfoot? Actually, they are in-between, standing 3 to 4 feet tall (about 1 m). You could also think they are some kind of futuristic pictures taken from another planet, while in reality these towers are nothing else but sand tufas and can be found in various corners of the earth.
A tufa is a peculiar form of calcium carbonate, and they’re created when calcium-bearing freshwater springs well up through alkaline lake water (which is rich in carbonates). The carbonate and calcium combine and, over centuries, these elements form unusual spires, towering columns, and strange cauliflower-shaped mounds which can reach heights of up to nine metres (30ft).
Tufa can form only underwater and they are exposed only when lakes are drained out or dry out in the course of time. The following images reveal the most mesmerizing cities with such sand tufa towers:
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image source (Image Source)source: boredpanda
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