Monte Sano Mountain peaks at 1630 ft. and at the summit, provides a spectacular view of the Tennessee River and its valleys.  Located in the heart of Huntsville, most of its 2,000+ acres is designated as a state park containing a 20-mile trail system.  It is also the location of the Huntsville Land Trust Nature Preserve.

     The mountain offers great vistas with a variety of interesting geological formations.   There are caves, sink holes, pits, waterfalls, bluffs and springs.

Courtesy of M.Thomas

One can observe the diverse wildlife, including numerous migratory songbirds, wildflowers and the deciduous forest throughout the mountain.

• Teachers will walk through several trails on the mountain and observe the many geologic features in the area.
• Teachers will discuss the stratification of the rocks and the relative age of the formations.  They will discuss the processes that formed the formations.
• Teachers will discuss the hydrology of Monte Sano and the Huntsville vacinity and its role on the karst topography there.
• Climatology of the area will be discussed.  It is subtropical with annual average of nearly  65  inches of rain.  The maximum  rainfall  arrives as afternoon thunderstorms in July, August and September. Northern Alabama is cooler than Southern Alabama due to its higher elevations.  Summers are extremely hot and humid with temperatures around 100 degrees F.  Summer nights cool slightly. Winter temperatures are mild, rarely dipping below 40 degrees F.   Lowest humidity occurs in November and December.  Spring brings mild temperatures.  Abundance of  blooming trees and flowers can be observed. During the fall temperatures range from 65 to 85 degrees F with low humidity levels.
• Karst topography and features will be discussed including sinkholes, caverns, and sinkhole springs.
• Other forms of springs will be discussed.  We will be taking water samples from Fagan Spring and test for dissolved oxygen level.  We will also measure the temperature, pH and salinity using the kits we bring.
• While walking through the trails, the teachers will observe and note the diverse flora and fauna on the mountain and relate them to the climate.  They should also note the vegetative stratification within the forest.
• The teachers will consider the main environmental issues that are confronting the residents of the mountain.

    1)  Monte Sano and Huntsville lies in the Cumberland Plateau section of the Appalachian Plateau.  There are two physiographic divisions in Northern Alabama:  the Interior Plains which include the Low Plateau province and the Appalachian Highlands which include the Appalachian Plateau.

    2)  Uplift and erosion are two main processes that helped sculpt the landscapes in this area.

    3)   At the top of Monte Sano is a flat sandstone cap.  Its slopes are predominantly limestones and are heavily forested with hardwoods.

    4)  Monte Sano Mountain is underlain by rocks of limestone, sandstone and shale.  Some areas include beds of siltstone, conglomerate, dolomite, and chert.  These geologic features are observable in several sites.

    5)  Water is a very powerful force in the process of sculpting the many geologic features in the area.

Water moving downhill can erode and carry very large masses of rocks as well as silt and clay.

    6)  Since the major rock formations in our area are limestone and we have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) which results in an average annual precipitation of 62 inches (National Weather Service, Birmingham), we are in the middle of a karst region.

    7) Karst topography is shaped by the dissolving power of groundwater.  It is  characterized by irregular terrain with many depressions called sinkholes.

It is typically with little surface drainage systems because rain runoff usually  flows quickly below the ground through sinks and caverns until it reaches the water table.

    8)  Karsts develop where groundwater percolates through limestone along joints or cracks and bedding planes.  The limestone dissolved in water forms an acidic solution which dissolves the rock even more causing the cracks to get larger.  The weakened rock may collapse sometimes forming a cavern, a pit, or a sinkhole.  All of these features are found in Monte Sano and the rest of Huntsville.

10)  There are several other types of springs depending upon how they form.

        a.  Depression springs are formed when the water table reaches land surface because of a change in topography.
        b.  Fault springs are created by the movement of two rock units on a fault, causing an impermeable rock unit to block the ground water movement, forcing it to discharge as a spring.
        c.  Contact springs are formed where permeable rock units ovelie rocks of much less permeability.  The difference in the two rock units' ability to conduct water causes the water to "overflow" through the upper more permeable unit.
        d.  Fracture or Joint springs occur where fractures or joints in low-permeability rock allow water to seep when they intersect the land surface at low elevations.

   11)  The most prominent group of plants are the deciduous trees of hardwoods such as  dogwood, beech, chestnut, hickory, oaks, maple, birch, and elm.  This tree stratum, the tallest layer  reaching 60 -100 feet high, also include basswood, sweet gum, linden, and walnut.  The next layer are of smaller trees or sapling.   Just under this canopy is the shrub layer of mountain laurel, rhododendrons, azaleas, and huckleberries.  Smaller plants such as herbs, wildflowers and berries are below the shrubs. The ground layer includes  clubmosses, true mosses, and lichens.  The most diverse and colorful group of organisms on the forest floor are the fungi.

    13)  Human development threatens the area.  All around the  preserve and the state park are new housing developments.  The consequent deforestation certainly impact this fragile environment.

Return to Daily Itinerary

Home