.. _doc.basic.intro:

MARS Overview  
=============

**Context**
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 |  * MARS is a coastal hydrodynamical model developped by **IFREMER**               |  .. image:: MARS-et-ses-modules_petit.png                                                            |
 |    | (French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea)                  |                                                                                                      |
 |                                                                                   |                                                                                                      |
 |  * The MARS model is a three dimensional model based on a set of                  |                                                                                                      |
 |    | mathematical methods and numerical procedures.                               |                                                                                                      |
 |    | It is used to provide realistic descriptions of coastal phenomena.           |                                                                                                      |
 |                                                                                   |                                                                                                      |
 |  * In such a multidisciplinary institute, numerical researches are managed        |                                                                                                      |
 |    | on different environmental domains.                                          |                                                                                                      |
 |                                                                                   |                                                                                                      |
 |       * Sedimentology,                                                            |                                                                                                      |
 |             | (:ref:`doc.module.sedim`)                                           |                                                                                                      |
 |       * Coastal Environment health (microbial and contaminants),                  |                                                                                                      | 
 |             | (:ref:`doc.module.substance`)                                       |                                                                                                      |
 |             | (:ref:`doc.module.meteor`)                                          |                                                                                                      |
 |       * Biogeochemistry : primary production, toxic phytoplancton,                |                                                                                                      |
 |             | dissolved oxygen, oysters, bivalves ..                              |                                                                                                      |
 |             | (:ref:`doc.module.biolo`)                                           |                                                                                                      |
 |       * Halieutic applications.                                                   |                                                                                                      |
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

* MARS project is presented on the following   `webpage <http://wwz.ifremer.fr/mars3d>`_.                                   
                                       
* MARS is also implemented for operational purpose :  the `PREVIMER <http://www.previmer.org>`_ project  provides the users with analyses and forecasts of marine coastal parameters  
                                       
* The variety of applications involves the taking into account of a large range of time-space scales :                                         
      * basin, region, shelf, bay, beach   
      * decade, season, week, tide.        

.. toctree::
   :maxdepth: 2
    
   doc.basic.strategy
   doc.basic.summary
   doc.basic.reference