New York City: Encyclopedia II - New York City - Geography climate and environmental issues

New York City - Geography climate and environmental issues

New York City - Geography

• 40°42′51″N, 74°0′23″W

New York City is located in the middle of the BosWash megalopolis, 218 mi (350 km) driving distance from Boston and 232 mi (373 km) from Washington, D.C. The city is situated on the three major islands of Manhattan, Staten Island, and on western Long Island (Brooklyn and Queens), as well as on the mainland in the Bronx. There are also some smaller islands in the surrounding waters, including Ellis Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island, Roosevelt Island, and small islands located in Jamaica Bay.

The Hudson River flows from the Hudson Valley into New York Bay, becoming a tidal estuary that separates the Bronx and Manhattan from New Jersey. The East River, really a tidal strait, stretches from the Long Island Sound to New York Bay, separating the Bronx and Manhattan from Long Island. The Harlem River, another tidal strait between the East and Hudson Rivers, separates Manhattan from the Bronx.

Upper New York Bay is surrounded by Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the coast of New Jersey, and is connected by the Narrows between Brooklyn and Staten Island to Lower New York Bay, which is partially surrounded by Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the coast of New Jersey, and opens to the Atlantic Ocean.

The shape of the land has been altered substantially by human intervention, with considerable land reclamation along the waterfronts since Dutch times, most dramatically in Lower Manhattan, and continuing in modern developments like Battery Park City. Much of the natural variations in topography have been evened out, particularly in Manhattan (one possible meaning for Manhattan is "island of hills"; in fact, the island was quite hilly before European settlement). A number of smaller islands have been artificially enlarged, and the map of islands in Jamaica Bay has been completely transformed.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,214.4 km² (468.9 mi²). 785.6 km² (303.3 mi²) of it is land and 428.8 km² (165.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 35.31% water. Although most of the city is adequately above sea level, parts of it could be threatened in the future if the current patterns of global warming continue.

New York City - Climate

New York has a humid continental climate, though being adjacent to water it suffers less temperature fluctuation than inland areas. New York winters are typically cold, but milder than inland Eastern and Midwestern cities at similar latitude (Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh). The sea does moderate temperatures somewhat, especially in winter. Temperatures below 0 °F (-18 °C) only occur about once per decade on average, but temperatures in the 10's and 20's are quite common at the height of winter. Springs are typically mild, averaging in the 50s °F (10 to 15 °C) in late March to the lower 80s °F (25 to 30 °C) in early June. Summers in New York are hot and humid, with temperatures commonly exceeding 90 °F (32 °C), although high temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) are about as rare as subzero (F) lows in winter. humidity levels are usually quite high in July and August. Autumns are comfortable in New York and similar to spring in temperature. Officially (based on the Central Park observation), the last 100+ degree day was on August 9, 2001 and the last below zero day was on January 19, 1994; however, unofficial observations in other parts of the city show a 100+ degree temperature on August 13, 2005 and a below zero reading on January 10, 2004 (Central Park temperatures were 99-deg and 1-deg F respectively). Travelers are advised to check forecasts and bring several layers of clothing in late fall and in the early spring months (e.g., November, March, April) as temperatures can flucuate quickly at these times of year.

New York City - Environmental issues

Facing growing energy demands and limited space, New York has introduced a series of innovative environmental policies since the 1990s. Although cities like Seattle, Washington or Portland, Oregon are often thought to be more "green" than most American cities, New York is one of the most energy efficient cities in the United States. The vast size of New York City's economy makes it influential in environmental policy circles. 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. Manufacturers are also attuned to New York's latest trends and needs because the market is simply too big to ignore.

New York is also a leader in energy-efficient green office buildings, like 7 World Trade Center, which recycles rainwater and uses it in toilets and for irrigation, and computer-controlled heating and lighting. The city's mass transit system, multifamily housing, mixed neighborhoods and the fact that developments no longer go up on virgin land make building in New York very energy efficient.

The city's water supply is fed by a vast watershed in the Catskill Mountains. Because the watershed is in one the largest protected land areas in the United States the water passes through natural filtration systems and does not require processing by water treatment plants.

New York's air quality, however, is not pristine. While not as polluted as the air in such cities as Los Angeles or Houston, New York has high levels of ozone and particulates. Scientists have associated high rates of asthma and other respiratory problems to diesel emissions. To address these problems the city has introduced low-emissions hybrid vehicles into its bus and taxi fleets.

This section drawn from the New York Times article 'Never Sleeps, But It Douses The Lights'[4]

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Geography climate and environmental issues", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki