So, what happens to waves in a continuously stratified environment where the density changes gradually ? Let's try using salt to change the density of water to make it continuously stratified, and make some waves. This photo is a side view of waves caused by hanging a cylinder sideways in stratified water and causing it to oscillate. Light and dark areas show the "fluctuation" in the water's density, making the waves' pattern visible. The unusual thing about these waves is that they are only transmitted at certain angles. The waves are only transmitted in an "X" pattern from their source.