Introduction
The Atlantic coastal plain is a region that extends along parts of the eastern coast of the United States, encompassing from New York to Florida. This low-relief area encompasses about 45% of North Carolina and was formed by a series of sea level changes which deposited layer after layer of sediment over the bedrock (thousands of feet in some places along the coastal plain). This physiographic province is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by the piedmont.
The coastal plain tends to have a wet and humid climate. The soils in this area are very sandy and tend to have a wide range of drainage and development. There is also a lot of deposited sediment that has been transported by rivers and streams from the Blue Ridge and the piedmont; for this reason, the deposited sediment is thicker and denser right along the coast.
One of the most prominent features in North Carolina’s coastal plane is its dynamic barrier islands, also known as the Outer Banks. This string of barrier islands that spans the eastern coast of the state are home to North Carolina’s seven standing historic lighthouses, which demonstrate the changing nature of barrier islands due to ocean processes. Most notably is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which was lifted and moved further inland in 1999. Later in this section, we will discuss another prominent lighthouse in the coastal southeast, the Morris Island Lighthouse, and how it has been affected by shoreline erosion. Now, let’s turn to the basic formation and processes of barrier islands, starting with the impact of fluctuating sea levels.