A team of researchers poses in front of a massive boulder moved by waves during a powerful storm on Ireland's coast.

(Williams College)

At a Glance

Researchers have found that powerful storms can move massive boulders.Large rocks weighing up to 620 tons have been moved.Boulders were moved up to nearly 100 feet above high waters and up to almost 730 feet inland.

As climate change raises the threat of stronger weather events, a recent study has found that waves stirred up by powerful storms can move boulders weighing hundreds of tons.

A research team from Williams College studied massive rocks along Ireland's coast and found that they had been .

They discovered this by taking photos of the boulder's deposits along the coast and using GPS technology to map their positions. When they returned to the area after the storms, they were able to determine which rocks had been moved.

The scientists measured 1,152 of the large rocks from various spots on Ireland's coast to map the ties between the size of the boulder and its topographic location, such as its height above sea level or , according to a release on the findings.

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Boulders were movednearly 100 feet above high waters and about 730 feet inland, the researchers reported. Among the rocks moved, 18 of them weighed over 50 tons and six were heavier than 100 tons. The largest that was moved weighed in at 620 tons.

The waves created by the storms not only shifted the boulders but also created new ones by tearing them from the bedrock on the coast, states the release.

Previously, researchers believed only tsunamis could move the boulders due to their weight and distancefrom the shoreline.

This new research is helping other scientists understand the waves' full force, which will becomemore importantas temperatures continue to warm worldwide. This new information could help policymakers and engineers improve the resilience of coasts.

Williams College Professor of Geoscience and study lead author Rónadh Cox says it's likely larger rocks will be moved by larger storms in thefuture.

“The more intense the storms, the higher the wave energies, so the likelihood of these stronger wave energies hitting in other places ,” Cox told the Washington Post. “So I think understanding the dynamics of these deposits in these remote areas is going to matter more as energy levels on coastlines around the world tend to increase.”