Step Inside the World's Largest Hurricane Simulator

A Category 5 hurricane is brewing off the coast of Florida, but it won't be hitting any beaches or demolishing buildings. This storm is man-made, safely contained within a massive 75-foot acrylic tank at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Known as the Surge-Structure-Atmosphere Interaction Facility (SUSTAIN), it is the world’s largest hurricane simulator, six times bigger than its nearest competitor, and it’s now operational after years of development.

The simulator is part of the new $50 million Marine Technology and Life Sciences Seawater Complex at the university. Described by Brian Lam of Popular Science as 'the size of a small house,' it holds 38,000 gallons of saltwater. A series of paddles generate waves of varying sizes and speeds, while a 1700-horsepower fan—originally designed for ventilating mine shafts—creates 150mph winds that stir the water into a violent storm.

Researchers are using the SUSTAIN simulator to better understand hurricanes and improve storm predictions. By simulating the conditions inside, they aim to more accurately forecast a hurricane’s intensity, landfall, and its impact on buildings. 'Over the past 20 years, our track forecasts have improved significantly,' says Brian Haus, chair of the Division of Applied Marine Physics at Miami University, in an interview with Phys.org. 'But hurricane intensity forecasts haven’t shown the same progress.'

Haus, a self-described 'wave-junkie,' is eager to understand, at a molecular level, how hurricanes gain power over warm ocean waters—without putting himself or anyone else in the middle of a real storm. 'At sea, you have to face the true force of nature, but in the lab, we can create the hurricane whenever and however we want,' he says. The enormous size of the tank allows researchers to simulate realistic ocean conditions, and thanks to its transparent, 3-inch-thick acrylic walls, they can observe the inner workings of the storm they’ve created. Cameras and lasers will be used to measure the changes in both the water and the atmosphere.

According to the NOAA National Hurricane Center, a Category 5 hurricane will obliterate most framed homes in its path. But Haus points out, 'Most of our building codes and models for coastal construction aren't based on actual data about how structures perform under these extreme conditions.' At one end of the vast tank sits a scaled-down house, outfitted with sensors to help researchers better understand how man-made structures endure in the face of a major storm.

The facility has been operating for several months and has already provided valuable insights into improving hurricane forecasting.