3D hydrodynamic model of evolution of ocean

Shom uses HYCOM 3D (Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model) digital models to model changes to the ocean environment (currents, temperature, salinity, water depth). These HYCOM 3D models include a scalable (space and time) vertical grid, which is particularly suitable for the coastal regions and physical phenomena modelled (particularly the transition from a deep sea zone to the continental shelf, and the presence of frontal zones). These models were adapted to coastal models at Shom, particularly by integrating tides and the effects of rivers. These models focus on changes and variability in the different physical processes affecting coastal areas (continental shelves and slopes), such as tidal fronts, river plumes, tides and internal waves, upwelling and the dynamics of the mixed layer at an hourly frequency and with high spatial resolution (1/60 deg for the Biscay Channel model).