While the significance of infragravity waves (IG) in many—oftenhazardous—nearshore processes is widely-recognized, many of theempirical and numerical models used in dike safety assessments do not(directly) consider their contribution. Here, we combine physical andnumerical modelling to better understand the factors that contribute tothe dominance of IG waves over higher-frequency waves at the dike toe.Findings show that IG-wave dominance increases as the ratio of localwater depth to offshore significant wave height decreases. Therefore, itis critical that any tool used to assess the safety of dikes fronted by veryand extremely shallow foreshores accurately describe IG-wavedynamics.
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