Coastal defences could be designed to better withstand powerful storms triggered by climate change, a study of wave dynamics suggests.
Improving seawalls could help limit loss of life and damage to property as coastal waters become stormier over coming years, researchers say.
The team has developed a way of predicting what happens to the millions of tonnes of water inside big waves when they collide with cliffs, seawalls and buildings.
Their findings could help engineers design coastal defences that are better able to stop sea water spilling over on to land – known as overtopping.