Accuracy and stability of the discretised isopycnal-mixing equation

Coarse-grid ocean models parameterise the effects of mesoscale eddies by me ans of a mixing operator which diffuses tracers along surfaces of constant potential density, called isopycnals. We establish the consistency conditio ns, the spatio-temporal accuracy error and the computational stability cond itions for the small-slope isopycnal mixing operator. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence Ltd. All rights reserved.