Which term describes the slow erosion of shoreline where beach material is moved?

The term that describes the slow erosion of shoreline where beach material is moved is erosion. Erosion refers to the natural process of wearing away and the removal of soil and rock from one location on the Earth's surface, often caused by water, wind, or ice. In the context of shorelines, erosion can lead to the loss of beach material and alterations in the coastal landscape as sediment is displaced due to wave action, currents, and tidal forces.

Accretion refers to the process wherein debris and sediment accumulate, resulting in the gradual build-up of land, which is the opposite of erosion. Avulsion denotes a sudden change in a watercourse, typically involving the rapid abandonment of one channel for another, which doesn't pertain to the gradual erosion process occurring along shorelines. Reliction describes the exposure of land due to the receding of a body of water, which is a different phenomenon than the erosion process.

In summary, erosion accurately reflects the gradual wearing away and movement of beach material along shorelines, while the other terms describe different geographical processes.