In destructive waves, which process is more powerful?

Destructive waves are characterized by a strong, powerful backwash that dominates over the swash. When destructive waves break on the shore, the energy from these waves is directed toward pulling sediment and water back down the beach. This backwash is particularly forceful because of the large size and energy of the waves, which typically results from storm conditions.

The swash, on the other hand, is the movement of water up the beach after a wave breaks, but in destructive waves, the energy associated with backwash exceeds that of the swash. This imbalance leads to significant erosion of coastal features, as the strong backwash tends to remove more material than the swash can deposit. Thus, in the context of destructive waves, the backwash is indeed the more powerful process compared to the swash.