Coastal Erosion Assessment
A smooth water surface is a specular reflector, which results in low backscatter. The rougher surface of the land however, is a diffuse scatterer and produces relatively high amounts of backscatter. Evaluation of the change in backscatter over time allows the assessment of coastal erosion.

RADARSAT beam mode - Depending on the level of detail required, all of RADARSAT's beam modes are suitable for coastal erosion assessment.

RADARSAT incidence angle - Shallow incidence angles create the greatest contrast between water and land. At these angles there is specular reflection from the water surface while the roughness of the land surface is enhanced.

Look direction - N/A

When to acquire RADARSAT data - Coastal erosion assessment deals with the delineation of the land/water boundary over time. Acquire data when the coastline needs to be monitored.