Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. 9, 1135–1147 (2009)

A team in Colorado has linked surface roughness in the open ocean to a tsunami, offering potential for reliable early warning systems.

Oleg Godin of the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder and his colleagues studied radar data from satellite-based altimeters to identify the surface roughness associated with the deadly 2004 Sumatra–Andaman tsunami. Analysis of radar backscattering strength separated surface roughness caused by the tsunami — sometimes referred to as tsunami shadows — from other factors churning the sea. The authors say the report is a starting point for developing algorithms to use satellite-based and airborne radar and microwave radiometers to detect tsunami intensity and direction from surface roughness.