Philosophy of SWIM

The SWIM aims to bring together people to learn about new findings and exchange knowledge of saline groundwater systems in a relaxed and friendly environment. Even though the number of participants has grown strongly since the first SWIM in 1968, the meetings have maintained the informal character of the earliest meetings. Contributions consist of both oral and poster presentations by established scientists and groundwater professionals, mixed with students giving their first presentation. The conference series is carried by individuals from various organizations and countries.

Conference themes

A variety of studies is presented at the conferences, ranging from fundamental scientific to applied. The scope of the conferences typically encompasses the following topics:

• Saline groundwater hydrodynamics
• Methods to characterize saline groundwater systems
• New approaches in modelling
• Coastal zone groundwater management
• Climate change and sea-level rise impacts
• Ocean-groundwater interaction

Guiding principles

While there is no formal SWIM organisation, the following list of guiding principles has emerged from discussions between participants over the years.

• Meetings are held every 2 years, and the location of the meetings alternates between Europe and other continents
• There are no parallel sessions, all talks are held during a single plenary session
• Costs are kept to a minimum to ensure that the meetings are affordable for as many people as possible
• The duration of the meeting is 5 days, one of which is set aside for a field trip
• The meetings have a welcoming and informal character and include events like an ice breaker meeting, conference dinner and a soccer game
• Affordable accommodation should be available close to the meeting venue
• There is no formal SWIM organization with memberships or fees
• The meetings continue through the voluntary efforts of participants who recognize the importance of the meetings
• The next upcoming European meeting is decided at the SWIM in Europe, the next upcoming non-European meeting is decided at the SWIM outside Europe
• The selection of the location of the upcoming meetings is decided by voting by the meeting audience
• The organizing committee of a meeting will help the committee of the next two meetings
• Conference proceedings will be made publicly available on this website