Coastal ridge plains hold clues about past shoreline changes. By studying Boydtown Beach in Australia, researchers used ground-penetrating radar and luminescence dating to track sandy beach growth over 1000 years. They found that shoreline progradation alternated between steady and episodic phases, likely due to different sizes of storm events. Steady phases resulted from smaller storms gradually building up the beach, while episodic phases came from larger storms rapidly shifting the shoreline. Different types of shoreline growth also influenced the shape of the coastal ridges. This study shows that shorelines can change in response to storms, leading to different patterns of ridge formation over time.