Longshore Drift

What is a longshore drift? A longshore drift is the movement of sand along a beach.

Diagram depicting the movement of sand in longshore drift.

Longshore Drift is the movement of sand along a beach every time a wave breaks at an angle. As the diagram shows, most waves (except in sheltered bays) break at an angle to the shore. They are driven onshore by the winds. When a wave breaks, the surf (swash) rushes up the beach, carrying sand with it. Then it comes to a stop and begins to flow back. Now the main force is gravity, which pulls it straight back down the beach. So it goes up at an angle and back straight. At the end of one wave the sand has moved sideways along the beach.

This happens all the time, but it is difficult to see. The video shows it. The way most people notice longshore drift is when the sand piles up against a sea groyne (beach fence) or breakwater.

Video: Sea fences on the beach.
Video: Longshore drift on the beach.
Video: Problems of living by the sea.

Explore these further resources...

(These links take you to other parts of our web site, never to outside locations.)

You can search in these books:


You can look in this topic for more books, videos and teacher resources:

Jump to Coast toolkit screen
The toolkit screen link will take you to a library containing a selection of:
an i-topic, more books, pictures, videos and teacher's stuff related to the search word.
© Curriculum Visions 2021