 Convection Currents
The mantle is made of much denser, thicker material, because of this
the plates "float" on it like oil floats on water.
Many geologists believe that the mantle "flows" because of convection
currents. 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.
The next time you heat anything like soup or pudding in a pan you can
watch the convection currents move in the liquid. When the convection
currents flow in the mantle they also move the crust. The crust gets a
free ride with these currents. A conveyor belt in a factory moves boxess
like the convection currents in the mantle moves the plates of the Earth.
Click on the "Next" button to study the liquid center of the
Earth!!
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