Littoral drift

As the water moves along the shore, it creates what is called the littoral drift. Littoral drift is the movement of sand in the direction of the prevailing longshore current. In coastal bays and estuaries, waves and currents can sort the coarser-grained sands and gravels from eroded bank materials and move them in both directions along the shore, away from the area undergoing erosion. This process has been going on for tens of thousands years and has shaped and changed the geography of the land it affects.

Related Topics:
Littoral drift - Bay - Estuaries - Gravel - Geography

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Groins trap sand in littoral drift and halt its longshore movement along beaches.

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