Coastal zones are rapidly changing environments exposed to interacting processes and hazards across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Understanding and anticipating these changes requires continuous observations that capture both long-term trends and rapid responses to extreme events. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) provides unique advantages for coastal monitoring through its all-weather, day-and-night imaging capability and sensitivity to surface roughness. Combined with multisource Earth observation, in situ measurements, numerical and data-driven modelling and artificial intelligence (AI), SAR offers new opportunities for integrated coastal monitoring, forecasting and dynamic virtual platforms for simulation and interactive scenario testing (digital twins).
This session welcomes contributions presenting new methods and innovative applications of SAR and advanced SAR techniques to support coastal monitoring, understanding, forecasting, adaptation and management. We invite studies addressing applications including multiscale coastal geomorphology, coastal hydro-morphodynamics and coastal–ocean interactions, coastal hazards and their drivers (e.g. flooding, erosion, subsidence and extreme events), coastal vegetation and ecosystems, and land-cover and land-use change.
Contributions combining SAR with complementary data sources, AI/ML and numerical modelling across different coastal typologies and scales are particularly encouraged, from the reconstruction of historical changes to forecasting, near-real-time applications, as well as the development and continuous updating of coastal digital twins.
The session aims to bring together the SAR and broader Earth observation, coastal and ocean science and management communities to exchange new methodologies and applications. It will explore how SAR-derived information can contribute to the continuum from coastal observation and monitoring to forecasting and digital twins, supporting coastal adaptation pathways, planning and management.
Attendees will gain an overview of emerging methods, applications and opportunities in this fast-developing frontier, while connecting with researchers and practitioners across the coastal, Earth observation, modelling and management communities. The session will provide an opportunity to hear updates on work progressing across Europe, understand how these efforts are being integrated, and identify potential synergies, knowledge gaps and avenues for future collaboration.