OK...I'll see if I can explain this using an analogy. (For background information, you might want to acquire a copy of James P. Owens' "Geologic Map of the Cape Fear Region, 1 degree x 2 degree quadrangle, and Northern Half of the Georgetown 1 degree x 2 degree quadrangle, North Carolina and South Carolina" [I know that's a mouthful, but it's a great map].)
The Coastal Plain of the southeastern US consists of a series of marine terraces of Tertiary and Quaternary age, inset, stretching from the Sandhills (or Piedmont, north of Raleigh) all the way to the edge of the continental shelf. Think of these as a series of stair-steps, with treads and risers just like stairs...the risers are scarps, and the treads are terrace treads. Now, to illustrate the pattern made by Carolina Bays on these landscapes, do the following:
1. Procure a bunch of half-dollars, quarters, nickels, pennies, and dimes.
2. Go to a set of stairs in your home (assuming you have stairs), and face the stairs, looking upstairs.
3. Place the half-dollars in a row on a tread, right next to the uphill riser, running parallel to the edge of the riser.
4. Place the quarters in a row parallel to the first row, an inch or so toward you (i.e., closer to the downhill edge of the tread).
5. Place the nickels in the next row, then the pennies, then the dimes.
This is a simplified version of the pattern made by Carolina Bays. The largest Bays, generally, are geographically nearest the toe of the landward scarp, and average bay size decreases seaward on the terrace. It repeats itself on each new tread. I was in the office looking at topo maps and aerial photos of our survey area one day and had a "Eureka!!" moment when I recognized this pattern. You won't be able to see it on the small area shown in your photo; you need to be able to trace scarps on a series of 7.5 minute quadrangle topo maps, and compare aerial photos across the same area. It takes a big table and a lot of maps. The pattern just lept right out at me.
By the way, if you can view the geologic map I referenced, you'll see that the very largest bays (Waccamaw, White Lake, etc) lie atop the Cape Fear arch, which is still geologically active; this suggests that tectonism may play a role in bay formation.
Although the Bay Rims date from the Pleistocene-holocene boundary, the bays themselves do not.
How can this possibly be? You'll probably need to go slow here with this ol' East Texas country boy. But, I have an open mind however, so I'm trainable.
They are contemporaneous with the fluviomarine terraces upon which they occur, and therefore, were not all formed at once, but sequentially; as sea level dropped and each new terrace was exposed, new bays were formed.
You're suggesting the bays were laid down over a period of hundreds, maybe thousands of years? Some within others? And different sizes; many overlapping? But the rims are all the same age??? I understand and appreciate your familiarity with the bays, but you'll forgive my skepticism?
You recall those 100 pound hailstones mentioned in the Bible(and possibly elsewhere)? To be honest, that seems as plausible as anything else I've read so far. And that's my story and I'm stickin' to it ;^)
FGS