ARE the world’s seven oceans about to become eight?
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego has put the finishing touches on its groundbreaking “ocean simulator”, a 121,000-litre indoor tank with a wind tunnel grafted to the top.
With the facility, researchers can study the seas, and how climate change affects them, like never before, using actual water piped in from the Pacific Ocean.
Stretching nearly 40 metres, the tank’s huge ducts blast winds of nearly 100kph.
At one end of the machine, a paddle pushes waves, creating a roiling surface.
The tank is lit with natural photons pouring in from conical overhead skylights.
It is currently undergoing trials, with an official opening slated for next year, although it’s unlikely a cruise ship will ever take to these waters.