Convection currents play a role in the circulation of fluids. Convection currents are the result of differential heating. ... Inside Earth, the convection of mantle material is thought to cause the movement of the overriding crustal plates, resulting in events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions .
What effect does convection have on Earth’s interior?
Convection currents within Earth’s mantle form as material near the core heats up . As the core heats the bottom layer of mantle material, particles move more rapidly, decreasing its density and causing it to rise.
What does convection do to the Earth?
Convection drives the circulation of air in the earth’s atmosphere . The sun heats the air near the earth’s equator, which becomes less dense and rises upward. As it rises, it cools and becomes less dense than the air around it, spreading out and descending toward the equator again.
Why is convection current important?
Convections currents in the earth’s mantle are thought to be the driving force of plate tectonics . Where the hot magma is brought near the surface by the convection currents a divergent boundary is created. The divergent boundaries form new oceans and widen existing oceans.
What causes convection?
Convection currents are the result of differential heating . Lighter (less dense), warm material rises while heavier (more dense) cool material sinks. It is this movement that creates circulation patterns known as convection currents in the atmosphere, in water, and in the mantle of Earth.
What is the importance of convection current to the plate tectonics?
Convection currents drive the movement of Earth’s rigid tectonic plates in the planet’s fluid molten mantle . In places where convection currents rise up towards the crust’s surface, tectonic plates move away from each other in a process known as seafloor spreading (Fig. 7.21).
Where does convection occur?
Convection currents in the Earth occur in the mantle . The core of the Earth is extremely hot, and material in the mantle close to the core is heated...
Which best describes the shape of a convection current?
The shape of a convection current would be circular . Convection currents are caused by the very hot material at the deepest part of the mantle rising, then cooling, sinking again and then heating, rising and repeating the cycle over and over.
What are two factors that cause convection?
- heating and cooling of the fluid,
- changes in the fluid’s density, and.
- force of gravity.
- The heat source for these currents is heat from Earth’s core and from the mantle itself.
- Hot columns of mantle material rise slowly.
What is convection and its causes?
Convection occurs when particles with a lot of heat energy in a liquid or gas move and take the place of particles with less heat energy . Heat energy is transferred from hot places to cooler places by convection. Liquids and gases expand when they are heated. The denser cold liquid or gas falls into the warm areas.
What is happening with convection?
Convection occurs through the movement of particles . As particles become heated, the molecules move faster and faster, and as molecules move apart, density decreases. The warmer, less dense material rises compared to the surrounding cooler, higher density material.
What causes the tectonic plates to move?
The heat from radioactive processes within the planet’s interior causes the plates to move, sometimes toward and sometimes away from each other. This movement is called plate motion, or tectonic shift.
What would happen if there were no convection currents?
If for some reason convection stopped, air would not circulate, and weather would stop . Air wouldn’t flow over the waters, suck up moisture and then rain it out on land. Without this rain, all plants and crops would die.
What is best explained by plate tectonics?
The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s solid outer crust, the lithosphere, is separated into plates that move over the asthenosphere, the molten upper portion of the mantle. Oceanic and continental plates come together, spread apart, and interact at boundaries all over the planet.
What are 4 examples of convection?
- Breeze. The formation of sea and land breeze form the classic examples of convection. ...
- Boiling Water. Convection comes into play while boiling water. ...
- Blood Circulation in Warm-Blooded Mammals. ...
- Air-Conditioner. ...
- Radiator. ...
- Refrigerator. ...
- Hot Air Popper. ...
- Hot Air Balloon.
How do we use convection in everyday life?
radiator – A radiator puts warm air out at the top and draws in cooler air at the bottom. steaming cup of hot tea – The steam you see when drinking a cup of hot tea indicates that heat is being transferred into the air. ice melting – Ice melts because heat moves to the ice from the air.
