tufa

American  

[too-fuh, tyoo-] / ˈtu fə, ˈtyu- /

noun

Geology.

1. Also called calcareous tufa, calc-tufa.  Also called calc-tuff.  a porous limestone formed from calcium carbonate deposited by springs or the like.

2. (not in technical use) tuff 2 .

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tufa British  

/ tjuːˈfeɪʃəs, ˈtjuːfə /

noun

1. Also called: calc-tufa.  a soft porous rock consisting of calcium carbonate deposited from springs rich in lime

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tufa Scientific  

/ to̅o̅′fə /

1. A soft, friable, and porous sedimentary rock consisting of calcium carbonate and formed by the evaporation of water, especially at the mouth of a hot spring or on a drying lakebed. It is similar to, but harder than, travertine.

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Other Word Forms

• tufaceous adjective

Etymology

Origin of tufa

1760–70; < Italian tufo < Latin tōfus

Example Sentences

Environmentalists say the horses are degrading the otherworldly landscape at Mono Lake, including bird habitat and its famed tufa — textured rock columns that would look at home on Mars.

From Los Angeles Times

Over decades, Los Angeles’ reliance on water from nearby creeks lowered the lake level and left exposed its craggy tufa towers, formations of calcium carbonate that grew underwater around springs.

From Los Angeles Times

As they walk toward the shore, the group is dwarfed by the lake’s famous craggy formations called tufa nearly 20 feet above them.

From Los Angeles Times

As the saline lake retreated, rock formations called tufa, which had formed underwater, were left exposed along the shorelines.

From Los Angeles Times

Mono is a million years old, one of North America’s oldest lakes, a sci-fi landscape of calcium carbonate tufa towers, more than twice as salty as the sea itself, and eerie-looking empty or full.

From Los Angeles Times