drifts

Drifts refers to various forms of movement or accumulation shaped by wind, water, ice, or fields. The term is used in meteorology, geology, geomorphology, physics, and statistics to describe a slow, directional tendency that accumulates material or changes position over time.

Snowdrift, or snow drift, is a mound of snow formed by wind; snow is transported and deposited when wind velocity decreases. Snowdrifts are common in cold climates and can affect roads and influence avalanche risk. Glacial drift, in geology, is sediment deposited by glacier ice or by meltwater during glaciation. It includes till, which is unsorted material deposited directly by ice, and stratified drift, which is sorted by meltwater. Moraine features such as end moraines and ground moraines are common forms, and drumlins are used to infer past ice movement.

Desert and coastal drift concerns the movement of sand by wind, forming dunes. Sand drift lines along shores indicate longshore transport of sediment, and dune fields are visible evidence of this process.

In physics and mathematics, drift velocity describes the average motion of charged particles under an electric field. In stochastic processes, drift is the deterministic component of a process, μ in dX = μ dt + σ dW_t; drift rate is essential in models of stock prices and other time series.

In everyday language, drift is also a general term for gradual change or movement, such as a ship drifting off course or ideas and cultures drifting over time.