Offshore bars form when sediment is transported on and off a beach. Destructive waves remove sediment from the beach and form the offshore bar.

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Beach nourishment

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Wave energy reduces leading to material being deposited.

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Material is dissolved and carried by the water.

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Longshore drift happens when waves approach the beach at an angle. The swash (waves moving up the beach) carries material up and along the beach. The backwash (waves moving back down the beach) carries material back down the beach at right angles. This is the result of gravity. This process slowly moves material along the beach and provides a link between erosion and deposition. The material is transported through suspension, traction, solution and saltation. Longshore drift provides a link between erosion, transportation and deposition.

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