November 24, 2022 - North Carolina's Coastal Plain

North Carolina
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Skies were clear over eastern North Carolina on November 19, 2022, when
the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board
NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of a quiet autumn day
in the region.

North Carolina is divided into three physical regions, each with
characteristic landforms, soil types, and plant and animal inhabitants.
From the west to the east, these regions are the Mountains, the
Piedmont, and the Coastal Plain. The Coastal Plain, which is the region
captured in this image, can also be divided into the Inner and Outer
Coastal Plain. The Coastal Plain covers about 45 percent of North
Carolina, rising steadily from the Atlantic Ocean and stretching
roughly to I-95 as it traverses the state near the “fall line”—a
relatively sharp rise in land along which waterfalls frequently form
and which serves as the border between the Coastal Plain and the
Piedmont.

The soils of the Inner Coastal Plain are rich, sandy, and famously
fertile land for agricultural use. In autumn, farm fields often appear
tan as crops are harvested and remaining stubble dries. Other fields
may be planted with fast-growing cover crops, which appear green. The
patchwork of yellows, tans, and greens seen inland is typical of
agricultural fields in the fall.

The Outer Coastal Plain is sometimes divided into two additional
regions: Tidewater and Outer Banks. The Tidewater sits behind the
Barrier Islands and around the sounds and rivers, including Albemarle
Sound (north) and Pamlico Sound (southeast) and the Neuse and Pamlico
Rivers. This region lies near sea level and is filled with abundant
wetlands, which are rich in biodiversity. The Tidewater is the only
location on Earth where the Venus Flytrap plant grows naturally.
The barrier islands are a thin strip of land that sit between the
Tidewater and the Atlantic Ocean. As a group, they are known as the
Outer Banks and may be abbreviated as OBX. They were created by ocean
currents in a rising sea that deposited swaths of sand off the coast.
While they are considered stable enough to build on, the barrier
islands are in constant flux from the work of waves and storms. It’s
not uncommon for strong storms to cut new inlets—sometimes taking out
part of the main road, NC 12, that connects most of the islands and
permits year-round access for homeowners. It has been estimated that
the state has spent 80 million dollars in the last decade to maintain
NC 12, thanks to storm damage and the relentless shifting of the
barrier island sand.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/19/2022
Resolutions: 1km (122.8 KB), 500m (318.5 KB), 250m (821 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-11-24

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