DELINEATING THE ORANGEBURG SCARP IN SCOTLAND COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA BY MAPPING THE WESTERNMOST EXTENT OF CAROLINA BAYS

The Orangeburg Scarp is a prominent wave-cut paleoshore that marks the boundary between the Inner and Middle Coastal Plain of the southeastern Atlantic Seaboard. The position and elevation of this scarp indicate a Pliocene maximum transgression and has provided a metric for post-development regional uplift. Carolina Bays are dominant geomorphic features found in large numbers within the Atlantic Coastal Plain and are interpreted to have formed by prevailing winds blowing over water filled depressions during the Pleistocene. We map the continuation of the Orangeburg Scarp from Marlboro County, South Carolina into Scotland County, North Carolina using a combination of remotely gathered data including LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data, aerial and infrared photography. Our efforts are also focused on determining the density, distribution, and axial orientation of prominent and relict Carolina Bays in the region. These observations are recorded in a Geographic Information System database using ESRI Arcview and Arcmap. Our investigations suggest a marked termination of the Carolina Bays along the Orangeburg Scarp focus area. At present, our observations indicate the westernmost limit of Carolina Bays in the regions is coincident with the northeast-trending Orangeburg Scarp. Some bay forms in the area truncate the Orangeburg Scarp. The orientation of the Carolina Bays in the Scotland County area are generally consistent with those in, adjacent, Robeson County. The density of bay formations in Scotland County is not as numerous as in northern Robeson County and tends to diminish westward, closer to the Orangeburg Scarp. Fortuitously or not, we suggest the Orangeburg Scarp can be delineated by mapping the westernmost range of Carolina Bays in this region.