NASA has released satellite images that show North Carolina's newly formed Shelly Island was born in November.
The photos, acquired by the Operational Land Imager on the Landsat 8 satellite, show the sands that grew into the island first registered in November 2016 in the shoal area off Cape Point.
A second image, taken in January 2017, shows waves were clearly breaking on the shallow region off the cape's tip, NASA said. The site of those breakers is where the island eventually formed.
The third image, taken this month, shows the island clearly formed, and nearly a mile in length.
"What exactly causes a shallow region to become exposed is a deep question, and one that is difficult to speculate on without exact observations," said geomorphologist Andrew Ashton in a NASA report on the island.
One possibility, he said, is water levels going down after storm-driven waters piled up sediment to near the surface.
Shelly Island came to the nation's attention about two months ago and has become known for being mysterious and forbidding, including news on July 14 that a World War II-era military training device washed up on shore. The device was shaped like a torpedo and prompted an evacuation of the island, which is popular with tourists.
The island got its unofficial name, Shelly Island, because it is littered with numerous and well-preserved shells. But it is also a treacherous place to visit, with a deadly current separating it from Cape Point. The waters in the channel are known to be popular with sharks.
Experts say the island could be swept away by the next big storm off the coast. Until then, the property is under the jurisdiction of Dare County.
Explore further:Image: Fires on Cape Barren Island, Australia
Bagikan Berita Ini
Related Posts :
Antares Rocket Launches NASA Cargo to Space Station in Dazzling Predawn Liftoff WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. — An Orbital ATK Antares rocket pierced the clouds in the predawn sky over Virg… Read More...
NASA scores with weird Pac-Man crater on Mars You've seen a fish, a cannonball and even Jabba the Hutt on Mars. But have you seen the star of a … Read More...
Watch Orbital ATK Launch a Cargo Ship for NASA Early Monday! Here's How WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. —An Orbital ATK Antares rocket will launch a Cygnus supply ship Monday morning … Read More...
NASA mission shows humans causing massive redistribution of freshwater A 14-year NASA mission has confirmed that a massive redistribution of freshwater is occurring acro… Read More...
NASA Is Launching a Box of Lasers to Make the Coldest Spot In the Universe With an experiment launching to the International Space Station Monday (May 21), scientists will be… Read More...
0 Response to "NC island's mysterious birth appears on NASA satellite images"
Post a Comment