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| Geology and Water Balance |
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 Only few other parts of the Dolomites exhibit the history of their formation as vividly as the Schlern Region . The formation of its varied landscapes is due to rock-forming reefs as well as powerful volcanic eruptions below the surface of the Tertiary Mediterranean "Paleotethys". The first stratum consists of quartz-containing porphyry, which is mostly dark red in color and is typical for the area around Bozen. On it we find the Grödner Sandstone, the iron content of which can make the ground gleam bright red.  The following strata, dating back to Perm (Bellerophon Strata) and Lower Trias (Werfen Strata), are almost entirely covered by extended forests. Further layers are the Wengen and Cassian Strata. They have their greatest area of extension on Seiser Alm. Seiser Alm is particularily rich of springs, rivulets and boggy areas (for example Großes Moos). This is due to the high clay content of the soil and its resulting capacity to store great amounts of water. The rivulets Frötschbach, Frommbach and Jenderbach have their springs on Seiser Alm.
 The Schlern owes its shape to its geological formation. The Schlern Dolomite - a Dolomite rock named after this mountain - is a reef stone consisting of algae and corals. It makes up the rock faces of the Western Dolomites with their many crevices and chimneys. Volcanic activity in the reef area and on the bottom of the Tethys Sea has led to the formation of many minerals on Seiser Alm. On the Schlern Dolomite we find the argillaceous and sandy Raibl Strata which cover most of the plateau.
 The Main Dolomite, the last of the Mesozoic strata, has been almost entirely eroded. The mountains Pez (2,563 m) and Kranzer (2,465 m) consist of this whitish rock. The major fossil of the Main Dolomite is the megalodon.
It is often found in the massive beds of this rock as well as in debris cones and at the base of rock faces. |
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