Thursday, 23 January, 2025 / Edition 42

At the Southeastern Section Meeting for the Geological Society of America in Asheville, North Carolina last April, I had the opportunity to reconnect with two graduate school friends (Go Tar Heels!). Both are retired educators. Dr. Mark Steltenpohl was a geology professor at Auburn University and Laura Steltenpohl taught chemistry and physics for Auburn City Schools. I’ve taken the opportunity to interview them about their recently published book, Roadside Geology of Alabama.

Sharon Lyon

Editor, GeoLifestyle

Unearthing Alabama's Geology

The three of us with our books at the SE Section Meeting of GSA. 

When and why did you decide to write the Roadside Geology of Alabama?

Laura: Mark used the Roadside Geology books to help instruct field camp students during their trips to the western United States. He always had the desire to write Roadside Geology of Alabama but no time to do it. As we neared retirement, it occurred to us that writing the Roadside Geology book together would be more efficient than Mark writing it solo. And more fun!

Mark: We undertook this project as educational outreach to help people understand Alabama’s fascinating geology and its important role in shaping the history and culture of the state.

How long did it take you to write the book? Were there any major challenges?

Laura: The project took five years. We began field work in the summer of 2018, and the book was published in April of 2023.

Because our contract with Mountain Press Publishing Co. didn’t include advance funds, the main obstacle was the cost of travel (gas, hotels, meals). Routes were carefully planned to minimize time on the road, and trips were spread throughout the calendar year to avoid busting our monthly household budget.

Looking through the book, it seems that Alabama has diverse geology—from 2-billion-year-old rocks to Pleistocene delta systems. How did you manage to tackle all the geology?

Laura: The Roadside Geology of Alabama is divided into five chapters, each corresponding to a physiographic province.

Because Mark is an expert on the Piedmont and has extensive field experience in the Valley and Ridge, he was the primary author of those chapters. He also drafted most of the figures in the book, which the publisher used to create the illustrations.

Mark: Laura climbed a steep learning curve to write the chapters on the Appalachian Plateau, Coastal Plain, and Coastal Lowlands.

We are thankful for the many colleagues and state agencies who reviewed chapters and contributed their expertise, resources, figures, and photos.

One big thing: Because the book is a service project, the Steltenpohls are using all royalties and proceeds to fund an endowed scholarship for undergraduate education in the Department of Geosciences at Auburn University.

What they are saying: “We are thankful that the book sales give us the opportunity to leave a legacy where Mark built his career and where our son earned two degrees, a B.S. and an M.S., in geology,”—The Steltenpohls

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Alabama’s Must-See Geo Sites

Clockwise from upper left: Roadcut along entrance road to Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park courtesy of Mark and Laura Steltenpohl; Noccalula Falls courtesy of David Parham; Cheaha State Park courtesy of Mark and Laura Steltenpohl; Chewacla State Park courtesy of Jim Lacefield.

I admit the only part of Alabama I’ve seen is the area where I was sitting on the beach at Gulf Shores (which I highly recommend). I asked the Steltenpohls to select a few places in Alabama where people can easily view interesting geology—a “must-see” list!

Their top four hikes: These four scenic and informative treks offer good exposures:

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park

This is a good place to see Cambrian to Mississippian sedimentary rocks, including the Red Mountain Formation, which was the iron ore that fed Birmingham’s steel mills. The outcrops can be viewed along the hiking trails and in outcrops that line the entrance and exit roads, which cut perpendicularly through the tilted stratigraphic sequence. The park also features a grist mill and remains of a blast furnace that manufactured pig iron for the Confederate army during the Civil War.

Noccalula Falls

Located on the southern end of Lookout Mountain, Pennsylvanian (Pottsville Formation) sandstones are exposed spectacularly at Noccalula Falls. In addition to viewing the beautiful water, readers can follow the Steltenpohls’ trail guide through the park to see exposures of sandstone, shale, and coal seams. There are several adits, which are openings to abandoned coal mines.

Cheaha State Park

The highest point in Alabama, Cheaha Mountain, is in the Piedmont inside this state park. The area has many hiking trails, some that lead to breathtaking views of the Valley and Ridge. Cheaha Quartzite is exposed on High Falls Trail, which leads to a scenic set of waterfalls that tumble over tilted, cross-bedded quartzite.

Chewacla State Park

Most of Alabama’s rocks tell the story of the formation and breakup of Pangaea, but inside this state park in Auburn, you can see good exposures of Pre-Pangaean crust—rocks that formed part of the supercontinent Rodinia. The oldest rocks in the state, these gneisses and marbles are best exposed in Cheaha Creek, right along the Coastal Plain onlap.

With winter's icy blast reaching the Gulf Coast this week, I'm thinking we should read up on Alabama's geology with a cup of hot cocoa and plan a road trip for Spring!

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✉️ To get in touch with Sharon, send an email to editorial@aapg.org.