ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Natural lines of drift

Okay, let's imagine that we have a big pile of sand or dirt. Have you ever played with sand at the beach or in a sandbox? When you build a castle, you start by creating a big mound of sand. But then, as you shape and mold the sand, you start to notice that it naturally starts to form certain patterns and lines. These are called natural lines of drift.

Think of it like this, when you pour a bunch of marbles onto a flat surface, they will naturally start to roll and group together in specific ways. Similarly, when we have a big pile of sand or dirt, it naturally wants to settle into certain shapes and patterns over time.

These natural lines of drift can be caused by a few different things. One is the shape of the pile itself - things like the height, width, and shape of the pile can all influence how the sand settles. Another factor is how the sand or dirt is moved or disturbed. For example, if you throw a ball onto the pile, it will cause the sand to shift and move in a certain way.

Scientists study natural lines of drift because they can help us understand how things like sand dunes, riverbeds, and other natural formations form and change over time. They can also help us predict how things like avalanches or landslides might behave.

So basically, natural lines of drift are just the way that sand or dirt naturally falls and settles into certain patterns. They're important to scientists because they help us understand how the earth works!
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