Trona Pinnacles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trona Pinnacles |
|
|---|---|
|
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
|
|
.jpg) |
|
 Trona Pinnacles
Location in California
|
|
| Location | California, United States |
| Nearest city | Trona, California |
| Area | 3,800 acres (15 km2) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Governing body | Bureau of Land Management |
| Designated: | 1967 |
The Trona Pinnacles are amazing rock formations found in the California Desert National Conservation Area. This special place has over 500 tall, pointy rocks called tufa spires. Some of these spires are as tall as 140 ft (43 m). They rise up from what used to be the bottom of a lake, called Searles Lake, which is now dry.
These rocks come in many shapes and sizes. Some are short and wide, while others are tall and thin. They are mostly made of a material called calcium carbonate, which is also known as tufa. Today, these unique rocks stand alone in a huge, flat area of dried mud. They are surrounded by mountains on both sides.
Contents
Where are the Trona Pinnacles?
The Trona Pinnacles are about 10.0 mi (16.1 km) south of a town called Trona, California. They are located 1,800 ft (550 m) above sea level.
To get to the Pinnacles, you drive on a dirt road. This road is about 5.0 mi (8 km) long. It usually works for cars with two-wheel drive. But sometimes, after heavy rain in winter, the road might be closed.
The Trona Pinnacles are on 3,800 acres (15 km2) of land. This land is looked after by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM has named this area an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern." This means it is a very important place to protect its unique natural features.
How did the Trona Pinnacles Form?
The Trona Pinnacles are made of a special type of rock called tufa. These strange shapes formed underwater a very long time ago. This was between 10,000 and 100,000 years ago.
During a time called the Pleistocene (which was an ice age), a lot of water flowed from the Sierra Nevada mountains. This water filled a chain of inland seas, including Searles Lake. Deep under Searles Lake, water rich in calcium mixed with the lake water. This mixture caused the tufa formations to grow. You can see similar formations today at Mono Lake, which is to the north.
The pinnacles did not all form at the same time. They are grouped by their age and how high they are. There are three main groups: the northern, middle, and southern groups. Each group formed during a different ice age.
Different Types of Tufa Formations
The northern group is the youngest, formed between 11,000 and 25,000 years ago. These are great examples of what are called tufa towers. This group also includes shapes known as tombstones, ridges, and cones.
The small middle group has about 100 spires. It also has the tallest "tower," which reaches 140 ft (43 m) high.
The southern group has 200 tufa formations. These are the oldest, from 32,000 to 100,000 years ago.
People have given fun names to these unique rock shapes. Long ago, they were even called "Cathedral City." Geologists, who study rocks, put the pinnacles into four main types of shapes:
- Towers: These are taller than they are wide. They can be 30–40 ft (9–12 m) tall.
- Tombstones: These are shorter and wider, like a tombstone. They are usually 20–30 feet (6–9 m) tall. Most tombstones are in the northernmost group.
- Ridges: These are large, tooth-shaped tufa formations. Trona has three ridges. One is in the northern group, and two are in the middle group. One ridge is 800 ft (240 m) long, 500 feet (150 m) wide, and 140 ft (43 m) tall.
- Cones: These are the smallest, less than 10 ft (3 m) tall. They are rounded and scattered all over the Trona Pinnacles area.
Trona Pinnacles in Movies
The Trona Pinnacles are famous! You might recognize them from many movies and TV shows. More than 30 film projects are shot here each year. They are often used as a backdrop for car commercials or science fiction movies.
Some of the well-known movies and TV series filmed here include:
- Battlestar Galactica
- Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
- Disney's Dinosaur
- The Gate II: Trespassers
- Lost in Space
- Planet of the Apes
The music video for Lady Gaga's song "Stupid Love" (from 2020) was also filmed at the Trona Pinnacles.
Images for kids
-
A close-up of some of the amazing tufa formations.
