SUMMER INSTITUTE 2013 POWER POINT #1 NEW JERSEY’S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY THE GEOGRAPHY OF NEW JERSEY ROWAN UNIVERSITY.

SUMMER INSTITUTE 2013

POWER POINT #1

NEW JERSEY’S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

THE GEOGRAPHY OF NEW JERSEY

ROWAN UNIVERSITY

WHAT IS PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY ?

Physical geography can be thought of as the natural environment. It encompasses things taking place above, at, and below the Earth’s

surface. Our planet boasts a dizzying complexity of natural processes, which can be categorized into one of four great Earth Systems !

Strand Geography, People & the Environment

CPI Develop an awareness of the physical features of your community.

Unit Physical Geography

Topic Land Use in New Jersey

FOREST AGRICULTURE

URBAN

WETLANDS BARREN LAND

upland (non-flooded) forest

NJ: 35 %

land dedicated to farming; cropland, pastures, farm

structures & land owned by farms

NJ: 15 %

Percentages are estimates based on NJDEP data

land developed or subject to development for residential, commercial or industrial uses

NJ: 30 %

land for which the water table is at or above the surface for much of the

year

NJ: 20 %

land with less than 1/3 vegetative cover & with no

known plans for use

NJ: <1%





NEW JERSEY’S FORESTS

New Jersey ranks 47th in area yet boasts almost 3,000 mi2 of forest !

How ??

Key = Soil Quality

Sandy soil in Pine Barrens & rocky soil in Highlands discouraged farming and development

More recently it is legislation that protects these forests View of Wharton State Forest from Apple

Pie Hill fire tower; Atlantic City in the distance





NEW JERSEY’S WETLANDS

Wetlands were traditionally viewed as swamps and garbage dumps

Environmental awakening of the 60s & 70s opened our eyes to their importance

Hackensack Meadowlands Reclamation and Development Act (1969) was NJ’s 1st attempt at regional environmental protection

Provides a home for hundreds of species of plants & animals, as well as a refuge for migratory birds and a spawning ground for fish and other marine life





NEW JERSEY’S FARMLAND

New Jersey still has over 800,000 acres of active farmland

Once considered the “bread basket” of the American colonies

Top 3 crops are blueberries, tomatoes & peaches

“Agri-tourism” and locally-grown campaigns reinventing farming in NJ

Pine Barrens among best habitats nationally for blueberries & cranberries

Elizabeth White first successfully domesticated the blueberry at

Whitesbog Village in Pemberton Twp





NEW JERSEY’S URBAN LANDSCAPE

New Jersey is the most densely populated state

Proximity to New York City (and Philly) the key

Suburban sprawl has defined New Jersey’s land use practices for a century

50 acres a day are paved over in NJ

Much newly developed land comes from former farms

The Route One Corridor is one of the countries most congested areas

Animated map of land use change since 1972

http://crssa.rutgers.edu/projects/lcp




Topic Coastal Processes

COASTAL PROCESSES SHAPE NEW JERSEY’S LANDSCAPE

Proximity of the ocean alters the weather at the shore

Waves & wind are forever reworking the beach

The sand we sit on was once part of a mountain !

Climate change alters sea level

People fight against or enhance natural processes Fishermen amid nor’easter waves at

Manasquan Inlet, September 2009


CPI Describe how landforms, climate and weather, and availability of resources have impacted where and how people live & work in New Jersey.


Topic Geologic Provinces

NEW JERSEY’S GEOLOGIC PROVINCES

Run on a northwest to southeast axis

Tell the history and explain the present for the state

5 provinces (Ridge & Valley and Highlands are often combined)

New Jersey’s land gets younger and flatter as you move southeast

Shaped by processes working inside & at the surface of the planet


CPI Explain why some locations in New Jersey are more suited for settlement than others.


Topic Geologic Provinces and Settlement Patterns

GEOLOGIC PROVINCES & SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN NJ

No large towns or cities in rugged Highlands

Piedmont is most heavily developed: hydro-power & the “fall line”

Inner Coastal Plain has most fertile soil for farming

Sandy soil of Outer Coastal Plain discouraged settlement

Barrier islands became highly developed once reachable by railroad/car

Sandy soil of the Pine Barrens has allowed these roads to remain unpaved !




Topic Factors That Shaped New Jersey

NEW JERSEY AND PLATE TECTONICS

Northwest part of the state consists of the remnants of this great collision

Happened some 500 million years ago !

New Jersey’s mountains may once have been as tall as Mt Everest !

Left a landscape folded & twisted by collision & volcanism

Mountains provided the raw material for the state’s fertile soil





THE ROLE OF EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION

Over millions of years water has worn away most of the topography

Delaware River cut the Water Gap

The hills of northwest NJ were once its valleys !

The Coastal Plain consists largely of sediment carried down by streams

New Jersey once had a much more dramatic coastline …

A massive offshore canyon cut by the Hudson River runs for over 100 miles off

New Jersey’s coast across the Continental Shelf, a remnant from the last ice age when

the Shelf was above water.





NEW JERSEY’S GLACIERS

18,000 years ago the northern quarter of New Jersey say beneath an ice sheet

When it melted back, the landscape had been transformed

Glacial lakes & ponds appeared

Massive rock fracturing from the Highlands to the Poconos occurred

Long Island was left behind !

Precariously perched glacial erratic called Tripod Rock in Pyramid Mountain Natural

Historic Area, Boonton, New Jersey





NEW JERSEY AND SEA LEVELS

As a coastal state New Jersey is greatly impacted by sea level change

NJ was 50 miles wider during the ice age when sea level was hundreds of feet lower than today

Sea levels have been rising for 15,000 years – more rapidly in recent decades !

A sea level rise of only a few feet can leave New Jersey’s barrier island shore communities underwater


CPI Explain the importance of determining locations using latitude and longitude.


Topic Latitude, Longitude, and Absolute Location

APPLYING THE CONCEPT OF ABSOLUTE LOCATION

The ancient Greeks (Eratosthenes) were 1st to use a coordinate grid for locations

Allows us to pinpoint an absolute rather than relative location

Longitude was much harder to nail down than latitude !

Allows for the standardization of geography

New Jersey : Latitude 38° 56’N to 41° 21’N Longitude 73° 54’W to 75° 34’W

Red Bank is located at approximately 40o35’N and 74o7’W


CPI Compare and contrast information than can be found on different types of maps.


Topic Thematic Maps of New Jersey

NJ Watershed Map

New Jersey County Map

Topographic Map of New Jersey


CPI Compare and contrast information than can be found on different types of maps.


Topic What can we learn from old maps?

This is an old railroad map of Atlantic City, drawn in 1878. A comparison with a modern map of the area reveals much about how Atlantic City and our culture has grown over the past 135 years – without the automobile, this part of the Jersey Shore was relatively undeveloped !




Topic The Jersey Shore – An Ever Evolving Landscape

A STRESSED, DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENTCoastlines are the busiest places on Earth. Think about it – everything that happens on

our planet seems to converge there, that thin strip where land meets water. The power of the ocean is brought to bear there in the form of waves and tides. Continents eventually end up deposited there, as rocks erode and are carried seaward by streams & rivers. Atmospheric disturbances and natural hazards focus on the shoreline, as hurricanes and tsunamis show.

Aquatic life abounds, as the estuaries and bays provide spawning grounds for deep sea and freshwater species alike. Birds flock there by the millions.

And of course, life is drawn to the land adjacent to the shoreline, and the shallow waters of the coast. We build our cities there, and take our vacations amid the surf.

It’s hard to imagine a more dynamic environment. Or one that is more stressed.




Topic Key Processes That Define the Beach

THE CHANGING SHAPE OF NEW JERSEY’S BEACHES

Beaches – particularly barrier islands – are extremely temporary features !

Storms and waves strip beaches of their sand

We fight erosion through beach replenishment programs

Longshore drift moves the sand laterally from town to town

Jetties show the direction of the drift

Beach erosion on Long Beach

Island




Topic An Overview of New Jersey’s Waterways

NEW JERSEY’S WATERWAYS

New Jersey gets about 40 inches of rain per year on average – precipitation is (directly or indirectly) the source for all streams

Canoeists make their way down the Mullica River in the NJ Pinelands

North Jersey: streams are fed by smaller creeks and tributaries

Reservoirs are the principal source of drinking water

South Jersey: high % of stream flow comes from underground stores of water called aquifers

Aquifers provide most drinking water here




Topic The Watershed Concept

WATERSHED SCIENCE IN NEW JERSEY

Why is the watershed the MOST useful delineation for studying the environment and our impacts on it?

Pollutants cross political boundaries, not watershed boundaries

Almost all liquid & solid contaminants end up in a waterway

NJ has 20 Watershed Management Areas (WMAs)

All students (and citizens) should know what water body their actions impact !

The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore asks “what

is a watershed ?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PazndNOcXPQ




Topic New Jersey’s Climate History

OUR CLIMATE THROUGH TIME

20,000 years ago regions of New Jersey were fully or partially glaciated

The later stages of the ice age may have seen Native Americans living in NJ

15,000 years of (nearly !) uninterrupted warming

North America (and New Jersey) suffered through 500 years of unusually cold weather called the Little Ice Age

For a climatologist what is interesting about the portrait of Washington crossing the Delaware is

the fact that it is caked in ice !




Topic Recent Trends in Climate Change

NEW JERSEY AND THE WORLD WARM UP

The Industrial Revolution brought the Little Ice Age to an end and ushered in the era of global warming

Facts: burning fossil fuels has greatly increased atmospheric carbon dioxide carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas greenhouse gases retain more heat in the lower atmosphere (where we live) warmer temperatures melt ice and raise sea level

New Jersey’s coastal communities are very much at risk, as are its farms, its poor & elderly, etc. !

Over the past 600,000 years atmospheric CO2 (top), temperature

(middle), and sea level (bottom) have risen & fallen in lock step.




Topic Factors that Influence New Jersey’s Weather & Climate

WHY DO WE EXPERIENCE THE WEATHER THAT WE DO?

Key #1: Latitude

At about 40oN latitude (out of 90o) New Jersey sits about halfway between equator & pole moderate climate

Latitude influences temperature since more angled sunlight heats less effectively

Key #2: Prevailing Winds

The Westerlies blow between 30oN & 60oN, carrying weather systems with them

Driven by pressure belts & the Coriolis

The lower the sun is in the sky, the more surface area a “sunbeam” needs to heat;

thus, cooler temperatures.






Key #3: Topography

Temperature drops about 3.6oF with every 1,000 feet elevation gain

The northwest highlands do get significantly more cold & snow

Key #4: Large Bodies of Water

Moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean keeps the shore warmer in winter and cooler in summer

Also provides fuel for big storms

This map of January surface temperatures shows that even at high latitudes the land

gets much colder than the sea.






Key #5: Convection

When the sun heats the surface, warm air will rise, cool, and form clouds

Reason for all those late afternoon summer thunderstorms

Key #6: Frontal Boundaries

Responsible for the majority of rain & snow events in New Jersey

When air masses clash, warmer air is forced upwards, leading to condensation

WARM




Topic Environmental Protection & Constraints in New Jersey

NJ TREASURES: THE PINELANDS

Nearly 1 million acres

An internationally-recognized Biosphere

Home to dozens of threatened & endangered species

Pinelands Act (1978) and Pinelands Commission oversee its protection

Key goal: protect the 17 trillion gallon Kirkwood Cohansey aquifer

Management Plan is based on ecologically sound zoning

KIRKWOOD-COHANSEY AQUIFER

Drinking

water

Rivers &

streams

Wetlands





NJ TREASURES: THE HIGHLANDS

Largest expanse of forested, lightly developed land in North Jersey

Features rugged hills and forested valleys, as well as pastoral farmland

Highlands Act (2004) based on Pinelands model of ranking priority areas

Water quality again the key this time surface water (streams)

Has come under fire from Gov. Christie and development pressures

This map shows the NJ Highlands Preservation & Planning areas as a swath of the Mid-Atlantic Appalachians.





NJ TREASURES: THE SHORE

Includes barrier islands, back bays, beaches & Delaware Bayshore

Wetlands are a critical ecological resource for humans and animals !

Unique in that much of it is already heavily developed

Blanket legislation not applicable – needs local & grass roots protection

Major offshore threats include dumping & drilling


CPI Compare and contrast characteristics of regions based on the physical environment to understand the concept of regionalism


Topic New Jersey’s Soil

HOW SOIL DETERMINES LAND USE

Sandy soil (Pinelands) and rocky soil (Highlands) were poor for farming these areas remained largely undeveloped

NJ’s most fertile soil is found along the Inner Coastal Plain, thanks to millions of years of sediment deposition this area gave rise to the idea of the Garden State

Farmland preservation programs try to fight off encroaching development

Strand Economics, Innovation & Technology

CPI Compare the regions of New Jersey to determine the role that geography, resources, and climate have played in economic opportunities.


Topic New Jersey’s History of Economic Opportunity

NEW JERSEY AND THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The Industrial Revolution in America can be said to have started with the founding of Paterson in 1791 by Alexander Hamilton’s Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures

Harnessing the power of the falls allowed Paterson to become the “Cradle of the Industrial Revolution”

Coal from Pennsylvania was brought to Paterson and New York City first by the Morris Canal and later by the Jersey Central Railroad

The Great Falls at Paterson, NJ





SEEKING WEALTH IN THE GROUND

Mining has a long history in No. & So. Jersey

Huge iron mines such as Hibernia in Morris County helped fuel America’s industrialization in the 1800s

Lower grade bog iron was easier to find in South Jersey, often sitting by local creeks

Clay from the Piedmont province allowed Central Jersey to become a world leader in ceramics & brick making

Sandy soil of the Pines was ideal for glassblowing

Above: iron plating cast at Hopewell, NJ in 1772

Right: Lenox ceramics made in Trenton, NJ





DIFFERENT SOIL, DIFFERENT CROPS

Amenable climate and fertile soil allowed New Jersey to grow wheat and corn for early settlers through the colonial period

Most NJ farms today grow fruits & vegetables for local sale, particularly within the Inner Coastal Plain

The sandy soil of the Pinelands is ideal for growing berries – cranberries & blueberries in particular

Nurseries and landscaping enterprises serve New Jersey’s expanding suburbia

Flooded cranberry bog awaiting harvest

Meet a New Jersey farmer …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zGZgQF5GAY





OPPORTUNITY BECKONS AT THE SHORE

217 miles of shoreline from Sandy Hook to Cape May

Much of this is barrier island which offers maximum waterfront acreage – also maximum vulnerability to storms

Railroad and later the automobile made shore towns the fastest growing in NJ

Wildwood can expand from base of 5,000 to 250,000 people on summer weekends

Proximity to major population centers of NYC & Philly has always been key

Beach tags & badges are another revenue maker for

shore towns.




Topic Regionalism in New Jersey

IT’S A NORTH-SOUTH THING

Traces its roots back to colonial times

Often a linguistic issue: New York or Philly dialects?

Food is another area of contention !

Does Central Jersey exist?

“There is something about Jersey Pride. But many of us still form our identities around major metropolitan areas: North Jersey with New York, South Jersey with Philadelphia and the Shore people tend to wrap their arms around the beach and dread the mainland (or at least anything 5 miles west of them). The rest of us might find something else to rally around: the Boss, a diner or Rutgers football.” (an NJ filmmaker)





IT’S AN EAST-WEST THING

Access to the Hudson & Delaware Rivers made the region attractive to Europeans

Lord Carteret (from the Island of Jersey) retained control over northeastern New Jersey; Quakers exerted control over the western & southern portions

Respective capitals were Perth Amboy and Burlington

Merged into Royal colony of New Jersey in 1702, yet dispute over the border between East & West Jersey continued until 1743 !

The “Lawrence Line”, which (theoretically) ended the debate as to the border between East & West Jersey.





IT’S A FLAT OR HILLY THING

Differences in terrain shaped the way people made a living, and in turn the type of lives they led

The fast moving streams and ore deposits of North Jersey lent themselves to industrialization

The rolling pastureland of Central Jersey was ideal for large farming operations

The flat, sandy Pine Barrens with its slow moving streams was poorly suited for industry, agriculture, or large settlements

Looking west from Pinwheel Vista on Wawayanda Mountain across the Highlands to

Kittatinny Ridge.

BONUS MATERIAL:

GREAT DISCOVERIES IN SCIENCE !

Did you know that the first dinosaur skeleton was found in New Jersey?

The bones of what would come to be known as a Hadrosaurus – a large plant-eater of the late Cretaceous Period – were dug up in 1858 by a visiting naturalist and philanthropist named William Parker Foulke.

SUMMER INSTITUTE 2013 POWER POINT #1 NEW JERSEY’S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY THE GEOGRAPHY OF NEW JERSEY ROWAN UNIVERSITY.

Documents

physical features

strand geography

farm structures land

natural environment

earths surface

power point

farming cropland

vegetative cover