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Stable and unstable stratification
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<p>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. </p><p><a href="/facts/Buoyancy/9dIQwlrh">Buoyancy forces</a> tend to preserve stable stratification; the higher layers float on the lower ones. In unstable stratification, on the other hand, buoyancy forces cause <a href="/facts/Convection/E8vsCPhu">convection</a>. 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. </p>