Download Convection Currents and the Mantle

Science Starter
Turn to the next blank page in your ISN and
cut and paste the handout that is located
on the front desk.
You will need colored pencils.
Convection and the
Mantle
OBJ: How is Heat Transferred?
How does Convection Occur in
Earth’s Mantle?
The Heat of the Earth
Earth’s outer core is nearly as hot as
the surface of the sun.
Heat Transfer
The movement of energy from a warmer
object to a cooler object.
There are three types of heat transfer:
1. Radiation
2. Convection
3. Conductions
Radiation
The transfer of energy through empty
space.
Radiation
Energy is
transfer
through
rays.
For example
light!
Conduction
Heat transfer by direct contact of particles of
matter or materials that are touching.
Convection
Heat transfer by the movement of a heated
fluid.
How Convection Works
During convection heated particles of fluid
begin to flow, transferring heat energy
from one part of the fluid to another.
What Causes Convection
Heat transfer by convection is caused by
differences of temperature and density
within the fluid.
Science Starter
• Turn to page 16 in your ISN and
answer the following questions…
1.What general statement can you
make about the change in
temperature through Earth’s interior?
2.What is the overall composition of
oceanic crust?
Density
A measure of
how much
mass there is
in a volume of
a substance.
Convection Current
The combination of
three things start
convection currents
moving in the
mantle…
1. Heating and cooling
of a fluid
2. Changes in the
fluid’s density
3. The force of gravity
Convection in Earth’s Mantle
The heat from the core creates convection
currents that flow through the
Asthenosphere.
Convection in the Mantle
What could cause rock to rise through the
Earth’s Mantle?
- It is hotter and less dense than the
surrounding rock.
Why might rock sink into Earth’s Mantle?
- It is cooler and more dense than the
surrounding rock.