A Matlab version of the Price, Weller, Pinkel model
(version 1.4 - 10/8/2001)

Peter Lazarevich and Scott Stoermer

Graduate School of Oceanography
University of Rhode Island
Narragansett, RI 02882


The Price, Weller, Pinkel model calculates mixed-layer depths. The model accepts a time-series of the following inputs: surface heat fluxes, winds, and precipitation, and applies these forcing parameters to an initial vertical profile of temperature and salinity. Specifically, the model accepts the following parameters:

• time, sample time in yearday
• sw, net short wave radiation (W/m^2)
• lw, net longwave radiation (W/m^2)
• qlat, latent heat flux (W/m^2)
• qsens, sensible heat flux (W/m^2)
• tx, eastward wind stress (N/m^2)
• ty, northward stress (N/m^2)
• precip, precipitation rate (m/s)

The model has 5 major steps:

• Apply heat and salt fluxes at the surface.
• Remove static instability in the profile.
• Time-step into the momentum equation (inertial and wind stress).
• Perform bulk Richardson instability mixing.
• Perform gradient Richardson instability mixing.

We have translated the PWP code into a MATLAB version. This code has been tested on MATLAB version 5.X and may not work properly on an earlier version. The code expects to read the input data (the surface forcings and profile data) from MATLAB files (*.mat). We have created routines to assist in their creation (make_met.m and make_profile.m).

The user is free to choose the data source for the inputs. We are currently using the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis CD-ROM set. These data are in GRIdded Binary (GRIB) format and require data extraction.

Our MATLAB version is available here: PWP.m (version 1.4 - 10/8/2001)

The original FORTRAN version is available at: Jim Price's PWP download web site