Shoreham Beach - A 5tormwatch Cache EarthCache

Shoreham-by-Sea enjoys a unique location, bordered on the north by the South Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the west by the open valley of the River Adur and on the south by the river and Shoreham Beach. The town and port of New Shoreham was established by the Norman Conquerors towards the end of the 11th century. Shoreham’s strategic location and proximity to Normandy made it a logical place to improve facilities for travel and trade. Shoreham Beach, to the south of the town, is a shingle bank thrown up over the centuries by the sea through a tidal process as an extension to Lancing parish in the west. This blocks the southerly flow of the River Adur which turns at this point to discharge into the English Channel further along the coast at a point that has varied considerably over time.
The transport of sand and pebbles along the coast is called longshore drift. The prevailing wind (the direction the wind ususally blows from) causes waves to approach the coast at an angle. The swash carries the sand and pebbles up the beach at the same angle (usually 45º). The backwash, however carries the material back down the beach at right angles (90°) as this is the steepest gradient. if a pebble was placed in the water it would be carried along the coastline in a zig-zag motion and would eventually be deposited when the waves lose energy. The general direction of longshore drift is decided by the prevailing wind. In the diagram below the prevailing wind is approaching from the south-west. Therefore longshore drift is moving material from the west to the east.