Longshore Drift - GCSE Geography Definition

Longshore drift is a transportation process that happens along coastlines and involves the movement of sand and pebbles. It occurs when waves hit the shore at an angle, carrying bits of the beach material sideways along the coast. As waves come in (swash), they push the material up the beach at a diagonal angle, due to the direction of the prevailing wind. Gravity then pulls the material straight back down as the wave retreats (backwash), creating a zigzag pattern. This movement continues over time, gradually reshaping the coastline by moving beach material from one place to another. Longshore drift is important in understanding how beaches change through erosion and deposition, and how coastal landforms like spits are created.