Physical Features

Jeremiah Miller. Dorchester Roadside. 1989. oil on canvas 80" x 92 1/2". Courtesy of the SC Arts Commission.

Discover the mountains, lakes & rivers, geology, and climate of South Carolina.

Climate

• South Carolina Climatology Office
  The Climatology Office has lots of information on climate topics, such as severe weather, flooding, temperature, and notable events.
• South Carolina’s Climate Controls 
  Discover the factors that influence South Carolina’s climate.
• Climate Trends 
  Did you know that the average annual temperature in South Carolina has decreased .5 degrees Farenheit?

Lakes & Rivers

• Carolina Bays 
  Carolina Bays are oval-shaped ponds and wetlands that occur along the Atlantic coast, many in South Carolina.
  • How are Carolina Bays created? 
• The Catawba River
  Watch a video about the preservation efforts for the Catawba River.

Marine & Ground Water

• Tides: Why do they happen? 
  Find out why we have tides along the coast.
• A Line in the Sand: Nourishing South Carolina’s Beaches
  South Carolina beaches are fighting erosion in multiple ways.
• Groundwater
  Groundwater is the supply of freshwater found beneath the earth’s surface.
• Real-Time Water Levels for South Carolina
  Explore current water levels of rivers and lakes in South Carolina.

Geographical Features

Longleaf pine forest. Image by William D. Boyer, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

• Birth of the Mountains
  Explore the geologic story of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
• NatureScene-Forty Acre Rock
  Forty Acre Rock Preserve is an unique geological area boasting one of the largest flatrock granite exposures in South Carolina.
• Barrier Islands
  Discover the barrier islands of South Carolina and how they work.
  • Check out these maps and aerial photos of South Carolina's barrier islands.
• Time Scale
  What was happening in South Carolina in the Jurassic Period? What about in the Pleistocene Epoch?

Natural Communities

• The Southern Appalachians: A Changing World
  Watch this video on the Southern Appalachian Mountains, including their birth, landscape, climate, and ecosystem.
• Characterization of the ACE Basin
  The ACE Basin contains six distinct ecosystem habitats, from wetlands to uplands.
• Bottomland Hardwoods
  Bottomland hardwood forests are river swamps, usually where rivers occasionally cause flooding.
• Dynamics of the Salt Marsh
  Find out what plants and animals live in the salt marshes of the Lowcountry
• The Facts on Wetlands
  Learn the facts on South Carolina’s freshwater and saltwater wetlands.