Met Office flow over hills model: BLASIUS

In recent years the model has been used to study a wide range of phenomena including turbulent flow separation behind steep hills, cold air pooling in valleys, atmospheric rotors and mountain induced gravity waves.

The BLASIUS model uses a terrain following coordinate system. It can be run either as Boussinesq model (with constant density) or an anelastic model (where the density is a function of height). The equations of motion are discretized using finite differences and several advection schemes are available. The model can be used to simulate both laminar and turbulent flow and has a large-eddy simulation (LES) capability.

A number of UK Universities use BLASIUS for collaborative research with the Met Office. The model is available for external use for collaborative projects under a research license.

Further information on how to apply for a licence can be obtained by contacting the Met Office.