Tsunami detection from space using GNSS Reflections: Results and activities from GFZ

GITEWS (German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System) is one of the responses that were triggered by the tsunami offshore Sumatra in 2004. Since tsunamis are a global phenomenon, satellite based techniques like GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) are predestined as major components of future early warning systems. GNSS-R altimetry from space is expected to be applicable for tsunami detection. With a constellation of small satellites oceans could be monitored with high temporal and spatial coverage. Key components of such GNSS-R constellations are appropriate receivers. Therefore GFZ started activities related to the development of such receivers in cooperation with industry. Their performance was already successfully tested during several ground based campaigns. We review these measurements and introduce recent activities for airborne applications of GNSS-R. In addition we introduce results of a simulation study, where the tsunami detection performance of various GNSS-R micro satellite constellations was investigated for tsunami detection at the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean.