My parents took me to the Outer Banks of North Carolina almost every year as I was growing up. I also took my children, although not as often. Even as a kid, I was astonished at how details of the land changed from year to year. That's because the ocean currents are building up and tearing down these barriers islands all the time. These same currents have been bringing down ships for hundreds of years- ever since transatlantic travel began. Add to that the fact that these islands were once a very popular maritime destination for ships that did not want to be caught in a major port, and you start to see how this string of islands ended up with a reputation for destroying ships. But the sea around the Outer Banks isn't just swallowing ship these days- it's also taking down homes.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
A Ship's Graveyard in North Carolina
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Remember the picket fences on the dunes when we were kids? That was an attempt to stop dune erosion by wind. Then at some point in the 70s or 80s it was decided that was interfering with the natural systems so they were taken out. But turns out the erosion started much, much earlier when the first settlers let their livestock, especially goats, eat most of the vegetation that stablized the outer banks.
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