School of Computing, Mathematics
& Digital Technology
The Shallow Water Equations
The Shallow Water Equations (SWE) are a system of partial differential
equations that are used to model water flow in shallow water:
where h is the water depth, u and v are horizontal velocities in the x and y
directions, respectively, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
Figure 1: Numerical methods are used to solve the SWE because analytical solutions only exist in simple cases. Here the finite-volume method
has been used to solve the SWE to model a dam break.
The Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Flow Analysis at MMU is one of the
most successful research groups in the university.
Supporting a Public Understanding of Science