What is coastal transportation?
Coastal transportation is the movement of materials along the coast by the sea.
Transportation is the movement of material in the sea and along the coast by waves. The movement of material along the coast is called longshore drift.
Although longshore drift is the main process of transportation the material moves in four different ways. These are:
Traction – large pebbles and boulders are rolled along the seafloor.
Saltation – beach material is bounced along the seafloor.
Suspension – beach material is suspended and carried by the waves.
Solution – material is dissolved and carried by the water.
The video below shows transportation in action on a beach at Flamborough. Can you identify the processes of transportation?
Use the images below to explore related GeoTopics.