In hydrodynamics, a plume or a column is a vertical body of one fluid moving through another. Several effects control the motion of the fluid, including momentum (inertia), diffusion (temperature, viscosity, surface tension), and buoyancy (differences in mass density). Jets and plumes deemed "pure" represent flows that are driven entirely by momentum and buoyancy, respectively. Flows occurring between these limiting cases are usually characterized as buoyant jets and forced plumes.
A plume is said to be positively buoyant when, in the absence of additional external forces or initial conditions, the column of fluid tends to rise. By contrast, a plume is said to be negatively buoyant when the density of the column is greater than its surroundings (statically, its natural tendency would be to sink), but the flow has sufficient initial momentum to exhibit a rise.