Matt M. -- Researchers from around the world are hoping that future tsunamis can be predicted by a satellite in stationary orbit over the pacific. This could help be achieved based on a picture captured from a Hawaiian mountain top this camera captured a red atmospheric glow caused by the march 11th tsunami that resulted from the Japan earthquake. Researchers believe that the glow was caused by ocean pressure pushing up on the atmosphere. Even though tsunamis can move hundreds of miles per hour and change the ocean very little they can still impact not only the land but the ionosphere where the air is much thinner and the amplitude of the pressure wave is able to glow. this can cause a faint red glow when the pressure comes in contact with the charged plasma of the earths upper atmosphere.
I hope this works because if it does happen to work then it will save lives because we will be able to predict where a tsunami will hit. However, there could be complications with the system. Just because it will be able to predict a tsunami doesn't mean predict it early enough to give people enough time to evacuate. For example, the glow over Hawaii didn't happen until about an hour before the tsunami hit and that may not very much time to evacuate. If they find a way to improve the system to a day or more hours than just one then yes, I believe this will help people out a lot.
Link: The Atmospheric Signature of the Japan Tsunami Could Help Develop a Space-Based Warning System
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