Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
The Lake Ontario shoreline is under constant stress of waves, wind, and ice, leading to 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6 meters) of erosion annually. Erosion creates bluffs, which are loosely defined as broad, rounded cliffs on ocean and lake shorelines. Along Lake Ontario, bluffs often form where forces erode small glacial hills called drumlins. Bluffs attract many visitors but are susceptible to mass movements and thereby pose dangers. This project mapped erosional patterns along the southeastern shoreline of Lake Ontario with a focus on bluffs. In this GIS-based analysis, I downloaded a digital elevation model (DEM) at 10 meter resolution from the USGS and transformed it into a hillshade to reveal bluffs and drumlins. I then compared the hillshade to the shoreline in Google Earth and place names from USGS to locate both named and unnamed bluffs. Height and extent were then estimated using GIS measurement tools and recorded in the attribute table of a bluffs vector layer. To present results, a graduated symbols map was overlain atop the hillshade to emphasize bluff dimensions. Streets and municipal borders were added for reference. This project located four named and approximately seven unnamed major bluffs along the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario. Bluffs ranged from 0.12 to 0.5 miles (193 to 805 meters) in length, and in maximum height 72 to 151 feet (22 to 46 meters). The map manifests the constantly-shifting and potentially-hazardous nature of bluffs and how future erosion may form bluffs where erosive forces meet drumlins.
Recommended Citation
Humbert, Emmagrace, "041-Bluffs along Southeastern Lake Ontario, New York" (2024). GREAT Day Posters. 15.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2024/posters-2024/15
041-Bluffs along Southeastern Lake Ontario, New York
The Lake Ontario shoreline is under constant stress of waves, wind, and ice, leading to 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6 meters) of erosion annually. Erosion creates bluffs, which are loosely defined as broad, rounded cliffs on ocean and lake shorelines. Along Lake Ontario, bluffs often form where forces erode small glacial hills called drumlins. Bluffs attract many visitors but are susceptible to mass movements and thereby pose dangers. This project mapped erosional patterns along the southeastern shoreline of Lake Ontario with a focus on bluffs. In this GIS-based analysis, I downloaded a digital elevation model (DEM) at 10 meter resolution from the USGS and transformed it into a hillshade to reveal bluffs and drumlins. I then compared the hillshade to the shoreline in Google Earth and place names from USGS to locate both named and unnamed bluffs. Height and extent were then estimated using GIS measurement tools and recorded in the attribute table of a bluffs vector layer. To present results, a graduated symbols map was overlain atop the hillshade to emphasize bluff dimensions. Streets and municipal borders were added for reference. This project located four named and approximately seven unnamed major bluffs along the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario. Bluffs ranged from 0.12 to 0.5 miles (193 to 805 meters) in length, and in maximum height 72 to 151 feet (22 to 46 meters). The map manifests the constantly-shifting and potentially-hazardous nature of bluffs and how future erosion may form bluffs where erosive forces meet drumlins.