Shelf-Break Fronts are a process by which stratification of the water column occurs. This stratification normally results in thermoclines, since they occur where a sudden change in water depth causes a constriction of the current flow. They can be expressed as a ratio of their potential energy due to maintaining mixed (non-stratified) conditions, to the dissipated energy produced by the current being forced across the sudden change in depth. This can be expressed as:
The energy terms can be expressed in very detailed equations, but with constant terms factored out, the important terms are water velocity (average velocity, ) and water depth (h).
The equation for the stratification index can be expressed as:
Where  is a friction coefficient, approximated as 0.003 for a sandy bottom. This index can be calculated for any coastal region, usually in the range of +3 (highly stratified) to -2 (highly turbulent).