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Contents of 10.1 How does convection work?

10.1 How does convection work?

• Where does convection occur within Earth?
• Calculations can show if solid convection can occur within Earth.
• Using "reasonable assumptions," it shows that mantle convection is expected because:
• Viscosity beneath the lithosphere is lower as rock is close to melting temperature.
• Some lithosphere is denser than the asthenosphere.
• The thickness and mass of the mantle are huge.
• However, convection is slow as viscosity is very high.