Talk:Longshore drift

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Someone spelt Prevailing (as in prevailing wind) wrong in the diagram at the top of the page b

[edit] Request for verifiable references

Although the article reads and looks pleasantly, there are no references to the various claims made regarding the processes producing longshore drift.

  • References to cross-shore drift effects are missing.
  • The article mainly focuses on the effects of waves in the swash zone, from a linear point of view.
  • (Tidal) current effects are hardly mentioned.
  • There is little emphasis on the different relevant processes in the swash zone and in the rest of the surf zone.
  • The terms constructive process and destructive process are misleading, since they suggest these are processes, while they only point to the net effects of several competing processes.

Since I am not an expert on sediment transport, I feel uncomfortable with adapting the article myself. Crowsnest (talk) 10:39, 4 March 2008 (UTC)



Londshore drift doesn't actually exist! It is merely a simplification for GCSE geography pupils. Longshore Current (which does exist) should be added to the article, with this explained. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.243.220.41 (talk) 18:38, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Human Interaction

Humans in their need for costal real-estate often create structures to slow or stop natural processes such as long shore drift. The most common way that humans attempt to stop long shore drift is with a system of Groynes. The problem with groins is that they often accelerate erosion of the down-drift (the part of the beach closest to the groyne that has the waves coming from that same direction) beech. The groyne will create a side with very little sand and the other side will fill with the sand from the side that is loosing its mass. However the sand will eventually reach the top of the groyne and start the natural prosecies of longshore drift all over again. This leaves the beaches looking like the blades of a saw with deep depressions and long points. Groynes cause accelerated erosion the the beach and are not a viable way to stop beach erosion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Acejohnson15678 (talk • contribs) 18:09, 16 May 2008 (UTC)