As the name implies, these larger waves can sneak up on unsuspecting beachgoers since they randomly occur amid smaller waves ...

Then the water runs back down the beach - this is called the backwash. With a constructive wave, the swash is stronger than the backwash. With a destructive wave, the backwash is stronger than the ...

The most destructive tsunamis have occurred ... or landslide occurs close to shore, the first wave in a series could reach the beach in a few minutes, even before a warning is issued.

MALIBU BEACH, Calif. – The sound of ocean waves lapping up against the beach ... clearer picture of the damage left behind by the most destructive fire in city history. New video has emerged ...

Destructive waves are steep and arrive at the coast rapidly (between 12-15 per minute). Their strong backwash will pull beach material back into the sea. The sea shapes the coastal landscape.