It is designed to replicate and study interactions between the ocean and atmosphere under highly controlled, realistic environmental conditions.

At 120 feet long and holding 36,000 gallons of water, the Scripps Ocean-Atmosphere Research Simulator (SOARS) is a unique facility at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

SOARS is much more than a wave generator. It simulates the complex physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur where the ocean meets the atmosphere — a critical zone for climate systems, weather, air-sea gas exchange, and pollution dynamics.

By replicating ocean environments in a controlled laboratory setting, researchers can study ocean-atmosphere interactions, climate change, and more. SOARS provides insights that help refine climate models and deepen our understanding of global warming, air quality, and ocean health. It bridges the gap between field observations and theoretical models by offering repeatable, high-resolution experimental setups.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography Lead Engineer Douglas Alden and Researcher Grant Deane offer an inside look at how scientists study the impact of human activities on the ocean and atmosphere — and how these changes affect global climate, human health, and marine life.

Watch From the Laboratory to the Ocean: The Scripps Ocean-Atmosphere Research Simulator.