New satellite and GPS technology boost tsunami detection along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are testing a new experimental monitoring system called GUARDIAN, which uses data from clusters of GPS and other satellites to detect potentially deadly tsunamis triggered by earthquakes, volcanoes, or other events. The system can search for clues by examining radio signals from global navigational satellite systems, which are reviewed by the JPL's Global Differential GPS network. The technology can produce details about a potential tsunami in about 10 minutes, providing up to an hour of advanced warning for people in danger depending on the tsunami's location from shore. The GUARDIAN team is currently focusing on the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire, where 78% of the more than 750 confirmed tsunamis between 1900 and 2015 occurred.