New Study Reveals Impact of Storm Waves on Different Beach Types
Infragravity waves are important near shorelines during storms, especially on low-sloping sandy beaches. A new study looked at different beach types and wave conditions to see how infragravity waves vary. They found that during storms, infragravity waves can reach over 0.5 meters high at the shoreline on all types of beaches. Infragravity waves were most dominant on steep gravel beaches, followed by low-sloping sandy beaches, and least dominant on compound/mixed beaches. The size and frequency of incoming waves are the main factors driving infragravity waves at the shoreline during storms, with beach shape playing a smaller role.