Longshore drift & Deposition

• Longshore drift

  A) Prevailing wind

  B) Swash

  C) Backwash

  
• Longshore drift:

  1. Waves approach the coast at angle, due to prevailing wind
  2. Sediment is moved up and along the beach by swash
  3. Sediment is the carried back by backwash, in a straight line due to gravity
  4. This repeats along the coast in a zigzag movement
• Longshore drift - the process of moving material along the coast at right angles
• Deposition - the process of dropping material
• Deposition happens when:

  • Waves are losing energy
  • Sheltered area
  • Shallow water
  • Little/No wind