SLOPE STUDIES OF STATEN ISLAND, NY USING A GIS

Recently there has been emphasis on urban geology. Staten Island, NY is one of the five boroughs of the city of New York and its population is 473,279 (2014 census estimate). In the past we have investigated urban flooding and hurricane storm surge. In terms of urban geology, mass wasting is an important potential geologic issue on Staten Island. Using a LIDAR 1m Digital Elevation Model we have mapped the slopes of Staten Island. Staten Island, NY, has slopes that range from gentle to very steep. The steep slopes of Staten Island are underlain by Staten Island serpentinite and many of the steep slopes face southeast. We are now able to construct slope magnitude maps that will be a very important aid in identifying those areas that are susceptible to potential hillslope failure.