Stiff Plot
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Click the Home | New Graph | Specialty | Stiff Plot command to create a stiff plot. A stiff plot is used by hydrologists to compare the ionic composition of water samples between different locations, depths, or aquifers. The values of the cations and anions are plotted in milliequivalents per liter. The left side of the diagram shows the cation concentrations and the right side shows the anion concentrations. The farther a point is from the center, the larger the ionic concentration. The individual ionic points are connected to create the "stiff plot." The relative size of the stiff plot is an indication of the total dissolved solids concentration. Click the Stiff Plot button to create a stiff plot. |
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Normally, a stiff plot is not viewed individually, but in a group. Relative relationships among multiple stiff plots are then compared in order to draw an overall opinion about an aquifer or location. Cations and anions need to be in separate columns. When you create the stiff plot, specify which column has the cations and which has the anions. You can model as many different cations and anions as needed. Each column can use a different number of rows.
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| A stiff plot contains cation and anion values to allow for comparison of the ionic composition of water samples. |
Creating a New Stiff Plot
To create a stiff plot:
- Click the Home | New Graph | Specialty | Stiff Plot command.
- Select a data file in the Open Worksheet dialog. You can select a new data file or you can select an open data file in the Open worksheets section.
- Click the Open button. A stiff plot is created using the default properties.
Editing Stiff Plot Properties
To change the features of a stiff plot, including the columns used to create the plot, select the plot in the plot window or Object Manager and then edit its properties in the Property Manager.
Click the following tabs in the Property Manager to change different properties: