The Carolina Bay Mystery

Interestingly, virtually none of the bays corn and soybeans. Geography are connected to a stream, which means that Some Carolina bays are still wetlands, so groundwater and precipitation remain the designated because the water table is near In The principal sources of standing water in the the surface, keeping the soil wet. Limited bays’ lakes and wetlands. for agriculture use, these wetlands contain News™ Scientifi c debate continues not only on very complex ecologies of diverse plants the origin of Carolina bays, but their num- and animals. bers as well. UNC-Pembroke geographer Studied by scientists and non-scientists Tom Ross, author of “Carolina Bays: An An- alike, Carolina bays have baffl ed all who Neal G. notated and Comprehensive Bibliography,” have viewed their symmetry and beauty. Lineback said he “...has counted 9,000 (in Robeson Their geographical pattern appears as County, NC alone) and is still counting.” though they were formed from cosmic de- Based on the count in Robeson County, he bris being “sprayed” along the east coast. THE CAROLINA estimates that there are at least 200,000 bays Although this is an unlikely explanation, on the Atlantic coastal plain. this meteorite shower theory persists, even BAY MYSTERY “Carolina bays are sometimes easily though there is no cosmic material present Scientists know the origins of most of the visible from the ground,” says Ross, “but within the bays. earth’s landforms. The Carolina bays are an because of human occupance of and exten- Depressions somewhat similar to the exception. These depressions are scattered sive agricultural use occurring in many of Carolina bays occur elsewhere in the world. along the Atlantic coastal plain, appearing the bays, most are diffi cult to discern from The Staked Plains of north Texas, for exam- as shallow craters on the landscape resem- the ground today. Extensive and long-term ple, are covered in depressions, once called bling craters on the moon. plowing of the fi elds has obliterated the old “buffalo wallows.” Settlers thought that Found from New Jersey to these features were caused by bi- north Florida, Carolina bays occur Carolina Bay Occurrence son rolling and wallowing in wet in largest numbers in the Caroli- areas on the plains. Since similar NJ nas. A scientifi c mystery, these are PA depressions do not occur else- OH MD interesting geographical features DE where on the Great Plains where still subject to considerable re- bison were numerous, however, search and debate. this explanation is unlikely. A few WV Atlantic Carolina bays are shallow el- VA other areas of unexplainable de- liptical depressions, scientifi cally Ocean pressions are found on Alaska’s KY called pocosins, found primarily in Arctic Plain and on Tierra del soft and sandy coastal plain soils. Fuego, South America’s south- Their sizes vary from less than an NC ernmost island. acre (the size of a football fi eld, TN So what is the most likely origin less 10 yards to Lake Waccamaw of the Carolina bays? Although in North Carolina, which com- SC debate continues, many earth sci- GA prises 9,801 acres (3,968 ha.). entists believe that the bays were The name “Carolina bay” origi- once small natural lakes on the nated from the bay trees (red bay, AL Major Occurrence nearly fl at coastal plain, created sweet bay, loblolly bay) that make when the water table was consid- Secondary Occurrence up the bulk of the vegetation erably higher than at present. The within Carolina bays. Some of the Boundary of Occurrence lake water was then whipped by bay trees were used as medicinal strong northwest winds, enlarg- plants by American Indians and ing the lakes to form their oval or European settlers. FL elliptical shapes. Most scientists estimate that 0 150 mi While Carolina bays may be Gulf of Carolina bays are 6,000 to 40,000 0 150 km diffi cult to recognize from ground years old. During most of the Mexico level, few air travelers along the time that these depressions were U.S. east coast fail to see them. lakes, prevailing west and north- In some places, the patterns of west winds built beaches along ©2007 bays are nearly as distinguish- the bays’ southeast shores. The Geography in the News 5/18/07 able as the center-pivot irriga- low dune-like structures behind Source: Dr. Thomas Ross, UNC-Pembroke Finn Dahl/Rachael Huerta tion “circles” on the Great Plains’ the beaches are sandy rims resem- landscape. But unlike the center- bling natural levees. As groundwater lev- beaches and sand rims. They are more eas- pivot circles, the Carolina bays’ exact origin els dropped during the past few thousand ily seen from the air, however, even those remains a mystery. years, many of the lake bays evolved into that have been extensively cultivated.” And that is Geography in the News™. swamps, marshes and soggy areas. Even- Ross uses aerial photographs to identify May 18, 2007. #885. tually the some of bays slowly fi lled with likely bays, but relies upon his own recog- (The author is a Professor Emeritus of decaying natural vegetation, or peat, until nizance and the fi eld work of others to con- Geography at Appalachian State University, they became almost as dry as the surround- fi rm and map them. Soils in the bays are Boone, NC. University News Director Jane ing land. Farmers drained a large number high in humus and when they dry naturally Nicholson serves as technical editor. This of the bays for agricultural use during the or are drained by farmers, these rich soils article was a revision of GITN 410, “What is a 19th century. are treasured for growing tobacco, cotton, Carolina Bay?” Sept. 18, 1997.) ©2006 Maps.com.

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