CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ORANGEBURG SCARP BOUNDARY BY MAPPING DENSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF CAROLINA BAYS IN HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Carolina Bays decrease in number and disappear entirely as they approach the northernmost recognized portion of the Orangeburg Scarp, a prominent wave-cut paleoshoreline. The Orangeburg Scarp, whose type locality is in South Carolina, is interpreted to have formed during the Pliocene, while Carolina Bays formed as a result of Pleistocene paleoenvironmental conditions. This project maps the density, distribution and axial orientation of Carolina Bays in Hoke County, North Carolina using orthophotography, LiDAR and infrared imagery. The long range goals of this project include combining these data with other in south-central NC to further elucidate the age(s) and origin of Carolina Bays. Current data are used to more accurately map the northern extent of the, now east-west trending, Orangeburg Scarp in Hoke County. The orientations of the Carolina Bays in the Hoke County area are generally consistent with those in, adjacent, Robeson and Scotland Counties. The density of Bays in southern Hoke County is similar to that in northern Robeson County, but diminishes to the west and north, nearing the Orangeburg Scarp.