FURTHER GIS GEOLOGIC AND LAND-USE STUDIES OF STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK

Using a GIS, this author was able to “georeference” the following to the base map of Staten Island, NY: (1)Selected Topographic maps from 1911(scale 1:1800); (2)Selected aerial photographs from 1924; (3) The geologic map from the 1902 USGS Folio 83;(4) The surficial geologic map from the 1902 USGS Folio 83; (5) The 1987 water table map of Staten Island, NY (Soren, 1987);(6) Sites of former Iron mines; and (7) The geologic map of Staten Island from the Newark 2 degree sheet of Lyttle and Epstein(1987). Added to the above were present day Digital Elevation Models (DEM’s), sites of Naturally Occurring Asbestos as reported by Van Gosen (2006), present day wetlands as reported by the NYSDEC and SLOSH Model Hurricane Inundation Zones as reported by the NYSOEM. The above enabled this investigator to study hillslope stability, past drainage patterns relative to the present day and the effect of sea level rise on Staten Island. In addition, the author was able to add data from the NYC PLUTO database in order to study the effects of the urbanization of Staten Island. This information is very useful in studying the environmental geology of Staten Island, and will be very useful in future land use and environmental studies of Staten Island.