Parts of New Orleans sit atop an an ancient barrier island

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WVUE) -

To the casual observer, it looks like any other section of marsh.

However, this spot in extreme Eastern New Orleans - almost at the St. Tammany Parish line - is unique. The rare visitor can walk along an ancient sandy beach, in high tide just a sleeve of sand.

"If you go out to Ship Island, you're going to see sand and shells like this," said Richard Campanella, a Tulane University historical geographer who has written extensively about the city's architectural history. "Many New Orleanians might be surprised to hear that beneath their city runs a relic barrier island."

Centuries before New Orleans existed, what geographers have dubbed the Pine Island Trend looked very similar to Ship Island in Mississippi, Dauphin Island in Alabama, or even Grand Isle, Louisiana.

This now-subterranean feature ran from what is modern-day Metairie through Lakeview and Gentilly and followed part of the I-10 route before veering off to the southern tip of St. Tammany.

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