PROBE (PROgram for Boundary Layers in the Environment) is a one-dimensional model used for calculating the distribution of the current, temperature and salinity throughout the water column. The effect of the wind and the heat flows are important for the mixing, and the model calculates these properties at a very high accuracy. PROBE can be classified as an "equation solver for one-dimensional transient, or two dimensional steady, boundary layers". Typical examples of such boundary layers are the Ekman layer and the developing channel flow. A major difficulty in these kinds of flow is to characterise the turbulent mixing in mathematical terms. PROBE embodies two turbulence models, which calculate the mixing coefficients. Together with two momentum equations the turbulence models form the basis for the hydrodynamical part of the mathematical model. In addition, the following six variables are provided for: heat energy, salinity, and four arbitrary concentrations. The number of concentration variables can, of course, easily be increased when needed. The first version of PROBE was presented in Svensson (1978) and has since then been updated (Svensson
1998, Svensson et al., 2003, in manuscript).

References

Svensson, U. 1978. A Mathematical model of the seasonal thermocline. Lund Institute of Technology. Dept. of Water Res. Eng. Report No. 1002. Lund. Sweden.

Svensson, U. 1998. Program for Boundary Layers in the Environment - System description and Manual. SMHI Reports Oceanography No. 24.

Svensson, U., Axell, L., Sahlberg, J., Omstedt, A. In manuscript. Program for Boundary Layers in the Environment - System description and Manual (Updated version 2003).