Convection Currents and the Mantle

Understand Earth's mantle convection! Learn how heat drives plate tectonics. Get the worksheet!

Choose the best description for CONVECTION. hot material touches something and it heats up hot fluid rises, then when it cools it sinks back down when water vapor cools down enough, it turns back into a liquid the study of the origin of the universe Which of these creates the differences in density that make convection go? different temperatures different colors different sizes different shapes Where does convection happen? Match the names of the parts of Earth's interior with the statements that match each best. Lithosphere solid - broken into tectonic plates Asthenosphere partly melted rock - this is where convection happens Inner Core made of solid metals like nickel and iron Outer Core made of liquid metals that move around and create the Earth's magnetic field Mantle the biggest layer of the Earth - it's 82% of Earth's volume How does convection work? Sort the items into the correct groups. What's true when fluids get heated up or cooled down? Heated Fluids particles move faster particles take up more space density decreases rises up Cooled Fluids particles move slower particles take up less space density increases sinks down Draw a convection current. In the space below, draw a convection current. Use color - red and blue - to show where material is warm, and where it is cool. Include labels that explain what is happening. Convection in the Mantle Word Bank (some words used more than once):CONVERGENT, DIVERGENTMantle rock is heating.Mantle rock is cooling.Heated rock is less dense and rises up.Cooled rock is more dense and sinks back down. Mantle Rock is heated. Heated rock is less dense and rises up. Mantle rock is cooling. Cooled rock is more dense and sinks back down. DIVERGENT CONVERGENT CONVERGENT Which of these is the heat source for the convection currents in the mantle? the Sun burning fossil fuels the core of the Earth lightning How do convection currents in the mantle move the plates? Watch the video clip below, and use what you see - and what you've learned - to answer this question.