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Where are convection currents rising?
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).
What is convection in geography?
Convection is the circular motion that happens when warmer air or liquid — which has faster moving molecules, making it less dense — rises, while the cooler air or liquid drops down. Convection currents within the earth move layers of magma, and convection in the ocean creates currents.
What was the result of conventional current geography?
Convectional currents impacts the earth’s crust , that cause tectonic plates to move. Large convection currents transfer heat causing divergent plate boundaries.
What are convection currents GCSE geography?
Heat rising and falling inside the mantle creates convection currents generated by radioactive decay in the core. The convection currents move the plates. Where convection currents diverge near the Earth’s crust, plates move apart. Where convection currents converge, plates move towards each other.
What is convection and examples?
Everyday Examples of Convection boiling water – When water boils, the heat passes from the burner into the pot, heating the water at the bottom. This hot water rises and cooler water moves down to replace it, causing a circular motion. ice melting – Ice melts because heat moves to the ice from the air.
What are convection currents?
Convection currents describe the rising, spread, and sinking of gas, liquid, or molten material caused by the application of heat. Tremendous heat and pressure within the earth cause the hot magma to flow in convection currents. These currents cause the movement of the tectonic plates that make up the earth’s crust.
How does convection occur in the Earth?
Convection in Earth. Geologists believe the molten rock deep within the earth circulates by convection currents. The rock is in a semi-liquid state and should behave like any other fluid, rising up from the bottom of the mantle after becoming hotter and less dense from the heat of the earth’s core.
How do you find the convection current in boiling water?
You can observe convection currents in water boiling in a pot. Simply add a few peas or bits of paper to trace the current flow. The heat source at the bottom of the pan heats the water, giving it more energy and causing the molecules to move faster. The temperature change also affects the density of the water.
What is the role of thermal expansion in convection currents?
The fluid’s thermal expansion plays an important role in the creation of the convection currents. In simple words, the components that are denser or heavier will move downwards while the less dense or lighter components will move upwards which leads to bulk fluid movement.