Why does glint increase with beam aspect?

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Glint is the flicker in the radar echo that happens when only part of the illuminated area reflects back, so the return depends strongly on geometry. As the beam aspect changes, the size and position of the beam footprint on the target or the sea surface change relative to the target’s size. When the footprint becomes large compared to the target, small changes in angle make a big difference in how much of the target is lit, causing the echo to vary more and increasing glint. In short, varying the beam aspect alters how much of the target sits inside the illuminated area, which directly affects the pronouncedness of glint.