Stiff diagram

A Stiff diagram, or Stiff pattern, is a graphical representation of chemical analyses, first developed by H.A. Stiff in 1951. It is widely used by hydrogeologists and geochemists to display the major ion composition of a water sample. A polygonal shape is created from four parallel horizontal axes extending on either side of a vertical zero axis. Cations are plotted in milliequivalents per liter on the left side of the zero axis, one to each horizontal axis, and anions are plotted on the right side. Stiff patterns are useful in making a rapid visual comparison between water from different sources. An alternative to the Stiff diagram is the Maucha diagram.