New Jersey

» Introduction of Landslide Activities in New Jersey

Rockslide north of Twombly's Landing

Photo of a large rockslide north of Twombly's Landing in Alpine, Bergen County. The rockslide took place on July 23, 1938. Photo courtesy of "Palisades Interstate Park - NJ Section".

We have recently completed an inventory of landslides in New Jersey and created a database with the information. The data is available to the public for free via web download from the New Jersey Geological Survey (NJGS) web site. The data is compiled into an ESRI Geographic Information System (GIS) shapefile (Landslides in New Jersey). This GIS point shapefile of landslides in New Jersey with associated database file, projection file and metadata, contains point locations and other attributes for 160 landslide locations in New Jersey mapped by the NJGS. The information for the landslide sites mapped was gathered from geologic studies, geologic reports, newspaper articles, weather reports, historical documents, masters theses and internet searches. The landslide database was originally created for emergency management agencies in New Jersey to help plan disaster responses.

New Jersey is also involved in mapping landslide potential as part of the (Earthquake Loss Estimation Study For New Jersey: Geologic Component). The NJGS, with partial funding from the N.J. State Police Office of Emergency Management, maps seismic soil properties, including shaking behavior, liquefaction susceptibility, and tendency to landslide. This is completed by county at 1:24,000 scale and is available as Adobe .pdf files.

Landslide in Hunterdon County

Photo of the landslide which destroyed Bellwood Farm Road in the Pattenburg section of Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County in December 1989. The 250 foot long landslide occurred when a slope adjacent to a quarry failed. Approximately 2 acres of land collapsed at the edge of the quarry with the ground surface dropping nearly 60 feet at the site of the landslide. Bellwood Farm Road has never been rebuilt. Photo by Scott Stanford.

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» Inventory Status for New Jersey

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) maintains a separate file for landslides occurring along state highways and interstate highways. Data from 1988-2005 has been included in the Landslides in New Jersey shapefile.

Small Landslide in Highlands Boro

Photo of a small landslide in Highlands Boro, Monmouth County, one of about 20 landslides triggered by as much as eight inches of rain in New Jersey during the April 15-16, 2007 nor'easter. Photo by Scott Stanford.

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