Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake. (wikipedia)

This picture of the suset was taken last year in October from the shores of Mono Lake. In the foreground, you see the Tufa's that were formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water.