Ellipse quantification paper challenges wind/water hypothesis for Carolina Bays

July 06, 2026Theory

Source: He Studied the Carolina Bays for 10 Years. Then Reversed His Theory. by The Cosmic Summit

Cottrell and Zamora proved Carolina Bays are mathematical ellipses within 3% error, contradicting wind and water formation which would yield variable shapes. OSL dating only reaches ~300,000 years. The 2007 Firestone paper originally included them, but the Comet Research Group later demoted them. Clovis artifacts in bay rims support older ages. 📏

Key facts

Cottrell and Zamora co-authored a paper proving Carolina Bays are mathematical ellipses with accuracy within 3% error using least squares analysis of points along the interior rim
The uniform elliptical shape across thousands of bays is inconsistent with wind and water formation, which would produce variable shapes
OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) dating on Carolina Bays only extends back approximately 300,000 years, leaving dates near 786,000 years in a gray area
The 2007 Firestone paper included Carolina Bays as evidence, but they were later demoted by the Comet Research Group
Chris Moore of the Comet Research Group supports the Aeolian/Lacustrine (wind and water) hypothesis for Carolina Bay formation
Malcolm LeCompte of the Comet Research Group actively opposes including Carolina Bays in the Younger Dryas impact narrative
Clovis-era artifacts and waterfowl gizzard stones found in Carolina Bay rims indicate the bays existed during the Clovis period, supporting an age older than the Younger Dryas
Chris Moore conducted early archaeological work and dating in Carolina Bays

Sources

Partially Formed Carolina Bays: Morphological Evidence of ...papers.ssrn.com

In this paper, it's assumed that an ideally formed Carolina Bay has a mathematically elliptical rim throughout the entirety of its circumference. Although ...

Antonio ZAMORA | Research profileresearchgate.net

Christopher Cottrell ... This paper describes the use of a Python program to fit ellipses to the Carolina Bays using a least squares method.

(PDF) Interpreting the Geomorphology of Carolina Bays as ...researchgate.net

This study examines the Carolina Bays and Nebraska Rainwater Basins, using high-resolution LiDAR elevation models to analyze their unique ...

Morphological signatures of shock wave propagation in ...sciencedirect.com

by AK Carlisle · 2026 — By assuming the rim of an ideally formed Carolina Bay is entirely elliptical, it was shown that non-ideally formed bays display three morphologies that are each ...

Interpreting the Geomorphology of Carolina Bays as ...journals.bilpubgroup.com

This study examines the Carolina Bays and Nebraska Rainwater Basins, using high-resolution LiDAR elevation models to analyze their unique shapes.

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