What term describes the current that flows parallel to the shore, generated by waves approaching at an angle?

What term describes the current that flows parallel to the shore, generated by waves approaching at an angle?

• A. Longshore Drift
• B. Longshore Current
• C. Inlet
• D. Groin

Answer: (B)

When waves hit the coast at an angle, the water in the surf zone is driven along the shore as the angled swash carries sediment in that direction, while the backwash tends to move straight back down the beach. The net result is a current that flows parallel to the shoreline—the longshore current. This current is the driver of alongshore sediment transport, often called littoral drift, which shapes beaches by moving sand along the coast. The other terms describe different things: an inlet is a water passage into a bay or estuary, a groin is a man-made barrier extending into the sea to trap sand, and longshore drift refers to the movement of sediment rather than the water flow itself.

When waves hit the coast at an angle, the water in the surf zone is driven along the shore as the angled swash carries sediment in that direction, while the backwash tends to move straight back down the beach. The net result is a current that flows parallel to the shoreline—the longshore current. This current is the driver of alongshore sediment transport, often called littoral drift, which shapes beaches by moving sand along the coast. The other terms describe different things: an inlet is a water passage into a bay or estuary, a groin is a man-made barrier extending into the sea to trap sand, and longshore drift refers to the movement of sediment rather than the water flow itself.