Charleston, South Carolina

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 295.5 km² (114.1 mi²). 251.2 km² (97.0 mi²) of it is land and 44.3 km² (17.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 15.00% water. The old city is on a peninsula at the point where, as Charlestonians say "The Ashley and the Cooper Rivers come together to form the Atlantic Ocean." The entire peninsula is very low, some of it fillmaterial, and it frequently floods during heavy rains or unusually high tides. The city has expanded across the Ashley River from the peninsula, but North Charleston blocks any expansion up the peninsula, and Mount Pleasant occupies the land across the Cooper River.

Related Topics:
United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi² - Peninsula

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The tidal rivers (Wando, Cooper, Stono, and Ashley) are evidence of a Submergent or drowned coastline, ie. the original rivers had a lower base line, but either the ocean rose or the land sank, changing the landform. There is a submerged river delta off the mouth of the harbor, and the rivers are deep, affording a good port site. The rising of the ocean may be due to melting of glacial ice and the end of the ice age.

Related Topics:
Submergent - Base line - River delta - Port - Glacial - Ice age

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