Solute transport in saturated artificial porous media was observed in a series of laboratory experiments using magnetic resonance imaging. The objective was to study a situation of density-dependent flow in three dimensions both qualitatively and quantitatively. The time-dependent measurements visualised inflow from below of dense salt water into a freshwater reservoir, internal density-driven flow and the behaviour of a salt water layer below freshwater flow including plume development by dispersion. The main feature of the flow experiment was the strong tendency for the salt water to remain stagnant and to resist being swept out by the freshwater. Additional measurements were performed to gain information about reproducibility, flow field and breakthrough curves.