In the numerical modeling of ocean circulation, this is a process wherein, after each time step, the vertical potential density gradient is calculated and, if densier water anywhere overlies lighter water, the densities are mixed such that a state of either a neutral or slightly positive stability is created. This process numerically mimics the convective overturning processes observed and inferred in the real ocean at locations such as the Weddell Sea, although the real process takes place at spatial scales on the order of a kilometer or less while the model resolution is such that the spacing between grid points is usually much greater than this.