The transport of sediment along a coastline in a zigzag path driven by waves approaching the shore at an angle, each swash carrying material obliquely up the beach while backwash pulls it straight back down the slope. Over time it redistributes beach sand along the coast and builds features such as spits and bars where the drift direction meets an obstruction or a change in coastline orientation.
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1. Longshore drift (Wikipedia)
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Longshore drift from longshore current is a geological process that consists of the transportation of sediments (clay, silt, pebbles, sand, shingle, shells) along a coast parallel to the shoreline, which is dependent on the angle of incoming wave direction.
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