Stable and unstable stratification

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Stable stratification of fluids occurs when each layer is less dense than the one below it. Unstable stratification is when each layer is denser than the one below it.

Buoyancy forces tend to preserve stable stratification; the higher layers float on the lower ones. In unstable stratification, on the other hand, buoyancy forces cause convection. The less-dense layers rise though the denser layers above, and the denser layers sink though the less-dense layers below. Stratifications can become more or less stable if layers change density. The processes involved are important in many science and engineering fields.