Wacc-y Science: Natural Geo-metry EarthCache
Wacc-y Science: Natural Geo-metry
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A Carolina Bay, named for the various species of bay trees they typically are home to, is an elliptical depression typically found along the Atlantic seaboard. Lake Waccamaw State Park is home to one such Carolina Bay.
Carolina Bays vary in size from 1 acre to several thousand acres, but are always elliptical in shape. Their formation is a mystery with theories ranging from meter showers to ancient sea currents and other terrestrial events. Extremely rich in biodiversity, those that remain are often protected. One of the largest is Lake Waccamaw, NC; whose major axis measures nearly 7 miles.
Bays occur in linear arrays, in complex clusters of as many as fourteen bays, as scattered individuals, and in parallel groups aligned along the minor axes. The Carolina Bays are ellipses and tend to become more elliptical with increasing size. They display a marked alignment with northwest-southeast being the preferred orientation. The average trend of the major axes of Carolina Bays varies from N16°W in east central Georgia to N64°W in Virginia. Each of the bays in a region will be aligned along nearly parallel axes. Within the Atlantic Coast Plain, the measured orientation of the major axes of Carolina Bays and the Pleistocene direction of movement of adjacent sand dunes, where present, are generally perpendicular to each other. Northward from northern Georgia to Virginia, the average orientation of direction of Pleistocene movement of parabolic sand dunes systematically shifts along with the average orientation of the major axes of Carolina Bays as to always lie approximately perpendicular to them. If the major axes of these Carolina Bays are projected westward, they converge in the area of southeastern Indiana and southwestern Ohio.
Logging Requirements:
To Log this earthcache, you will need a compass. The posted coordinates will take you onto a pier about half way out - have your group picture taken with your GPS and the lake in the background. Post this picture in your log and answer the following question: An Ellipse is an oval shape that has a major axis (running through the center from end to end) and a minor axis. As you would expect, the major axis is the long way across the ellipse, while the minor axis is the short way. Along what bearing does the major axis of this elliptical bay lie? Email this bearing to me when you post your log, please do not post your answers in the log.
Note: According to new earthcache rules photos are optional, but they are still encouraged.
As always, obey all park rules and practice leave no trace ethics.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Hfr gur cvre