Tufas -carbonate Sinter Deposits- And Waterfalls In The Cuervo River, Cuenca, Central Spain Stock Photo

Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of ambient temperature water. This is a different process than when geothermally heated hot springs produce similar carbonate deposits known as travertine. Tufas are an example of petrifying springs and contain remains of micro- and macrophytes that have been coated or impregnated by carbonate. Fluvial tufas have a great potential as paleoclimatic indicators, as tufa formation is favored during warm and humid interglacial periods in which water availability is higher. The picture shows tufa formation at the Cuervo river springs, in the province of Cuenca in central Spain.