Menu Fermer

SLIM in a nutshell…

SLIM is a hydrodynamic model based on the Discontinuous Galerkin finite element method. It solves the governing equations on an unstructured mesh, an approach which allows the model resolution to be varied in space. Unstructured meshes offer optimal flexibility to represent the complex bathymetry and topography found in coastal areas. The model resolution can easily be increased in areas where small-scale flow features are important, whilst keeping it coarser in areas where the flow is expected to be more uniform, effectively allowing computational resources to be directed to where they are most needed.

SLIM includes three free-surface hydrodynamic models of increasing complexity: a 1D river flow model, a 2D shallow-water model and 3D baroclinic model. These models can be applied to a wide range of environmental and geophysical flows including flows in lakes, rivers, estuaries, coastal seas and in the deep ocean. The hydrodynamic models can be further coupled with Eulerian and Lagrangian tracer transport models to simulate the dynamics of pollutants, sediments or biological material.

More details on the main model features