Skip to content
    Geography GCSE

    Longshore Drift

    What Longshore Drift means in Geography GCSE, as defined for AQA, Pearson Edexcel.

    Definitions of Longshore Drift

    Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.

    Check what you remember

    Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Longshore Drift in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.

    Reference: AQA

    The primary process of transportation along a coastline, moving sediment in a zig-zag pattern driven by the prevailing wind.
    AQA · Coastal landscapes in the UK
    The process that transports sediment along the coast to build a spit.
    AQA · Coastal landscapes in the UK
    The zig-zag movement of sediment along a coastline, driven by waves approaching the shore at an angle determined by the prevailing wind.
    Pearson Edexcel · Human activities can lead to changes in coastal landscapes which affect people and the environment (study guide)
    The zigzag movement of sediment along a coastline caused by waves approaching at an angle to the prevailing wind.
    Pearson Edexcel · Coastal erosion and deposition create distinctive landforms within the coastal landscape (study guide)
    The zigzag movement of sediment along a coastline caused by waves approaching at an angle to the shore.
    Pearson Edexcel · A variety of physical processes interact to shape coastal landscapes (study guide), Distinctive coastal landscapes are the outcome of the interaction between physical and human processes (study guide)

    Topics that use Longshore Drift

    Related terms

    Using Longshore Drift in the exam

    Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.

    Practise Geography questions

    Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.

    Start free

    A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge

    All Geography GCSE terms