Hazards of Reflected Waves

When a wave directly reaches a rigid impermeable vertical wall or other surface it is completely reflected. In time, under suitable conditions, the reflected waves and the incident waves may combine, forming a standing wave.

This can be as great as twice the height of the initial wave. In practice, a reflected was of twice the magnitude of the initial wave is not likely but is always possible.

 Just think for a moment about the countless articles written following the recent attention to tsunamis. In seas of moderate wave height, rogue waves have been noted of far greater height that the typical wave height in the general area.

Permeable breakwaters made of rock or rubble and floating systems such as Wave Brake tend to mitigate the wave forces by absorption and minimizing the reflection or bounce back.