downdrift
Slow downward movement
Downdrift refers to the direction in which sediment moves along a coastline, carried by longshore currents.
Beaches, sandbars, and other coastal features form downdrift from sources of sand.
The term appears in coastal geology and engineering: The jetty caused erosion of downdrift beaches by blocking sand transport.
Also used as an adjective: downdrift shoreline.
Along the shoreline
- littoralRelating to seashores
- shorelineLand-water boundary
- beachesSandy coastal areas
- dunesWind-formed sand ridges
groins · jetties · seawalls · breakwaters · spits · barrier islands · coastal erosion · accretion
Fine rock particles
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
- siltWaterborne earth particles
- alluviumWater-deposited loose sediment
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
particles · fluvial · detritus · silting · turbidity · strata · pebbles · downstream
Shore loss from water
- undercuttingCharging less than rivals
- scouringVigorous abrasive cleaning
- cliff erosionGradual breakdown of precipices
- degradationDecline in condition
wearing · attrition · denudation · erosion control · downcutting · scour
Relating to pitch
- pitchFrequency of sound
- intonationPitch variation in speech
- phoneticsStudy of speech sounds
- phonologyScience of language sounds
register · prosody · assimilation · declination · utterance · speech · acoustic · Bantu
longshore
Along the shoreline
dunes · groins · jetties · seawalls · breakwaters · spits · barrier islands · coastal erosion · accretion · deposition
sand
Fine rock particles
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
- siltWaterborne earth particles
- alluviumWater-deposited loose sediment
deposition · particles · fluvial · detritus · silting · turbidity · strata · pebbles · downstream
beach erosion
Shore loss from water
- undercuttingCharging less than rivals
- scouringVigorous abrasive cleaning
- cliff erosionGradual breakdown of precipices
degradation · wearing · attrition · denudation · erosion control · downcutting · scour
tonal
Relating to pitch
- pitchFrequency of sound
- intonationPitch variation in speech
- phoneticsStudy of speech sounds
phonology · register · prosody · assimilation · declination · utterance · speech · acoustic · Bantu · Niger-Congo