Over one-and-a-half billion years of geologic history are recorded in the landforms and rocks found within 100 kilometers of New York City, revealing multiple episodes of plate collision and orogeny, continental rifting, volcanism, and an ever-changing tableau of environments from tropical seas to glaciated landscapes.  This module explains how geologists read the evidence preserved in regional geology to come to an understanding of the geologic events that have shaped the eastern continental margin of North America, and also discusses the economic resources and geohazards of the New York – New Jersey metropolitan region.

Coverage extends from western Connecticut to southern New Jersey and spans the Atlantic Coastal Plain westward across the metamorphic Piedmont provinces, Newark Basin, Proterozoic Highlands, Appalachian Fold Belt, and Paleozoic Plateau regions. 

Written to illustrate basic concepts of plate tectonics and rock formation presented in introductory geology and physical geography courses, the Geology of New York and New Jersey is appropriate for courses aimed at both majors and non-majors where discussion of the geologic history of the northeast will make the course content more regionally relevant for the students.

Click here to preview The Geology of New York & New Jersey

About the Author

Dr. J Bret Bennington grew up on Long Island and studied geology as an undergraduate at the University of Rochester in upstate New York.  He earned his doctorate in Paleontology from the Department of Geological Sciences at Virginia Tech in 1995 and has been on the faculty of the Department of Geology at Hofstra University since 1993. 

Dr. Bennington’s research has focused on quantifying stability in marine benthic paleocommunities in the fossil record and on integrating paleontological and sedimentological data to understand the development of depositional sequences in both Carboniferous and Cretaceous marine environments.  The results of these studies have been published in journals such as Palaeogeography-Palaeoclimatology-Palaeoecology, Paleobiology, and PALAIOS, and have been presented at a variety of regional, national, and international meetings.

In addition to leading undergraduate students on regional field trips to support his courses in physical geology, historical geology, paleontology, and geomorphology, Dr. Bennington conducts field workshops on the regional geology of New York and New Jersey for high school teachers.  He is also the co-director of Hofstra University’s study abroad program in the Evolutionary Ecology and Geology of the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, as well as an occasional Charles Darwin impersonator.

Dr. Charles Merguerian started collecting rocks at age 5 when an interest in science and in particular geology was spawned.  After suffering through grade- and high school and earning Masters and Ph.D. degrees from the City College of New York and Columbia University, Merguerian joined Hofstra's Geology Department in 1981.  Today, as Chairman and Professor of Geology, he has gathered roughly 30 years of professional experience in geologic mapping and structural analysis of complexly deformed metamorphic terrains, plutonic- and volcanic districts, and areas underlain by sedimentary- and glacial strata throughout the United States.  He has performed pure- and applied research and published nearly 150 geological maps, papers, technical reports, and abstracts from such widely separated areas as southeastern New York and New York City, New Jersey, western Connecticut and Massachusetts, central and southern California, and Nevada.

In the past decade his research efforts have focused on field- and tunnel mapping and laboratory research on tunnels bored by tunnel boring machines and by traditional drill and blast methods.  He is the President of Duke Geological Laboratory in Westbury, New York and has broad consulting experience with the United States Geological Survey, the California- and Connecticut State Geological Surveys, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and many geotechnical and engineering firms.

Based on his field research and publications, Merguerian is recognized as the leading authority on the geologic structure and tectonics of the New York City area.  He has devoted considerable effort to public education via television-, radio-, and the print media on the potential seismic hazards in the vicinity of New York City.  Merguerian has led hundreds of field trips in the NYC area and throughout New England and has conducted field courses in California, Arizona, Wyoming.

Back to Top

How Do I Order?

The series can be bound into any Cengage Learning text to create a more compelling regional edition to help you highlight relevant material.

ISBN-10: 0-7593-9063-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-7593-9063-8

Contact your Cengage Learning representative to learn more

Order the special Geology of New York and New Jersey Edition of the following texts by using the special ISBNs below:

Back to Top

Tell Us What You Think

We’re interested to hear your comments! Contact us to let us know what you think about the Regional Geology Series.

Back to Top

Interested in Becoming an Author?

We are actively seeking authors who are interested in developing content of local and regional interest in the earth sciences. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a contributing author for our earth science regional geology modules, please send us a brief description of the region you’d like to cover. 

Back to Top