Convection Currents:

Currents in the Earth's System

Convection currents occur within:

 the geosphere – plate tectonics

 the atmosphere - wind
 the hydrosphere - ocean currents

Focus Question: What is the source of energy for convection currents

in the geosphere?

Convection currents in the magma drive plate tectonics.

Heat generated from the radioactive decay of elements deep in the interior of
the Earth creates magma (molten rock) in the aesthenosphere.

The aesthenosphere (70

~ 250 km) is part of the
mantle, the middle sphere
of the Earth that extends to
2900 km. It contrasts with
the more
rigid lithosphere, the
outer shell of the Earth (0
~ 70 km) that contains
the continental
crust (made up of less
dense granitic rocks) and
the oceanic crust (more
dense basaltic rocks) that
are broken up into more
than a dozen rigid plates.

For more info, see:

 Why do the plates move?

Large convection currents in the aesthenosphere transfer heat to the surface,

where plumes of less dense magma break apart the plates at the spreading
centers, creating divergent plate boundaries.

As the plates move away from the spreading centers, they cool, and the
higher density basalt rocks that make up ocean crust get consumed at the
ocean trenches/subduction zones. The crust is recycled back into the
aesthenosphere.

Subduction of Plates

Because oceartan plates are denser

than continental plates, when these
two types of plates converge, the
ocean plates are subducted beneath
the continental plates. Subduction
zones and trenches are convergent
margins. The collision of plates is often
accompanied by earthquakes and
volcanoes.

Focus Question: Where is the source of heat in the atmosphere-

hydrosphere system?

The source of heat is from the sun, above.

The teachers were asked to sketch the

variation in the distribution of heat
from the equator to the poles, noting
the difference in the angle of incidence
with latitude and how this would affect
heating.

This led to discussions about the multiple currents/cells that are driven by
unequal heating driving currents both vertically (creating high and low
pressure systems by descending and ascending air masses) and horizontally.
Focus Question: If the hydrosphere were a closed system with only an
external source of heat from the sun, what simple temperature
patterns would you expect to see in the ocean basins?

One would expect to see warmer temperatures at the equator and cooler
temperatures at the poles leading to two large convection cells from the
equator to the poles, one in each hemisphere.