Coastal Processes Flashcards
Longshore Drift
Movement of material along the shore by wave action. Happens when waves moves towards the coast at an angle. The swash (waves moving up the beach) carries material up and along the beach. The backwash carries material back down the beach at right angles. This is the result of gravity. This process slowly moves material along the beach. Longshore drift provides a link between erosion and deposition. Material in one place is eroded, transported then deposited elsewhere.
Mass movement
Mass movement is the movement of surface material caused by gravity. Landslides and rockfalls are examples of very sudden movements of this type. Of course geological agents such as water, wind and ice all work with gravity to cause a leveling of land.
