Thegeography ofNew York City is characterized by its coastal position at the meeting of theHudson River and theAtlantic Ocean in a naturally shelteredharbor. The city's geography, with its scarce availability of land, is a contributing factor in making New York the most densely populated major city in theUnited States. Environmental issues are chiefly concerned with managing this density, which also explains why New York is among the most energy-efficient and least automobile-dependent cities in the United States. The city's climate is temperate.
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New York City is located on the coast of theNortheastern United States at the mouth of theHudson River in southeasternNew York state. It is located in theNew York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary, the centerpiece of which is theNew York Harbor, whose deep waters and sheltered bays helped the city grow in significance as a trading city. Much of New York is built on the three islands of Manhattan, Staten Island, and western Long Island, making land scarce and encouraging a high population density.
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The Hudson River flows from theHudson Valley intoNew York Bay, becoming atidal estuary that separates the Bronx and Manhattan from Northern New Jersey. TheHarlem River, anothertidal strait between the East and Hudson Rivers, separates Manhattan from the Bronx.
The city's land has been altered considerably by human intervention, with substantialland reclamation along the waterfronts since Dutch colonial times. Reclamation is most notable inLower Manhattan with modern developments likeBattery Park City. Much of the natural variations in topography have been evened out, particularly in Manhattan.[1] TheWest Side of Manhattan retains some hilliness, especially inUpper Manhattan, while the East Side has been considerably flattened.Duffy's Hill inEast Harlem is one notable exception to the East Side's relatively level grade.
The city's land area is estimated to be 321 square miles (830 km2).[2] However, a more recent estimate calculates a total land area of 304.8 square miles (789.4 km2).[3]Icebergs are often compared in size to the area of Manhattan.[4][5][6] New York City weighs about 1,680,000,000,000 pounds (7.6×1011 kg), this being the estimated cumulative mass of its buildings.[7]
The highest natural point in the city isTodt Hill on Staten Island, which at 409.8 ft (124.9 m) above sea level is the highest hill on the Eastern Seaboard south ofMaine. The summit of the ridge is largely covered in woodlands as part of theStaten Island Greenbelt. Many places have been identified as the geographic center of the city, including a plaque in the center ofQueens Boulevard and 58th Street, inWoodside, Queens.[8]
The boroughs of New York City straddle the border between twogeologic provinces of eastern North America.Brooklyn andQueens, located onLong Island, are part of the easterncoastal plain. Long Island is a massivemoraine which formed at the southern fringe of theLaurentide Ice Sheet during thelast ice age. TheBronx andManhattan lie on the eastern edge of theNewark Basin, a block of the Earth'scrust which sank downward during the disintegration of thesupercontinentPangaea during theTriassic period. ThePalisades Sill on theNew Jersey shore of theHudson River exposes ancient, once-molten rock that filled the basin. Thebedrock underlying much of Manhattan is amicaschist known asManhattan schist[9] of theManhattan Prong physiographic region. It is a strong,competentmetamorphic rock that was produced whenPangaea formed. It is well suited for the foundations of tall buildings. InCentral Park,outcrops of Manhattan schist occur andRat Rock is one rather large example.[10][11][12]
Geologically, a predominant feature of thesubstrata of Manhattan is that the underlying bedrock base of the island rises considerably closer to the surface near Midtown Manhattan, dips down lower between29th Street andCanal Street, then rises toward the surface again in Lower Manhattan. It has been widely believed that the depth to bedrock was the primary underlying reason for the clustering of skyscrapers in the Midtown andFinancial District areas, and their absence over the intervening territory between these two areas.[13][14] However, research has shown that economic factors played a bigger part in the locations of these skyscrapers.[15][16][17]
According to theUnited States Geological Survey, an updated analysis ofseismic hazard in July 2014 revealed a "slightly lower hazard for tall buildings" than previously assessed. Scientists estimated this lessened risk based upon a lower likelihood than previously thought of slow shaking near New York City, which would be more likely to cause damage to taller structures from an earthquake in the vicinity of the city.[18]
New York City comprises fiveboroughs, an unusual form of government used to administer the five constituent counties that make up the city. Throughout the boroughs there are hundreds of distinctneighborhoods, many with a definable history and character all their own. If the boroughs were each independent cities, four of the boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx) would be among the ten most populous cities in the United States.
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New York City plays an important role in thegreen policy agenda because of its size. Environmental groups make large efforts to help shape legislation in New York because they see the strategy as an efficient way to influence national programs. The magnitude ofNew York City's economy gives the city potential to set newde facto standards.
Although cities likeSan Francisco orPortland, Oregon, are most commonly associated with urbanenvironmentalism in the United States, New York City's unique urban footprint and extensive transportation systems make it more sustainable than most American cities.[24]
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These rocks are Manhattan schist, part of that ancient supercontinent, fragments of Pangaea left behind when the continent split. They are just glimpses of what is below the surface in abundance in Downtown and Midtown. And it is these fragments of very hard rock that provide the perfect foundations for New York's highest buildings. Where Manhattan schist can be found very close to the surface you can build high, and so Downtown and Midtown have become home to Manhattan's tallest buildings.
Further reading
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