Convection currents also “recycle” lithospheric materials back to the mantle. Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries. As tectonic plates slowly move away from each other, heat from the mantle's convection currents makes the crust more plastic and less dense. During convection, cooler water or air sinks, and warmer water or air rises. This movement causes currents. Ocean currents are like rivers of water moving through the sea. Some currents are caused by convection, while others, called surface currents, are driven by wind.

Convection currents play a role in the circulation of fluids. Convection currents are the result of differential heating. Lighter, warm material rises while heavier cool material sinks.Consequently, salinity increases and temperature decreases, causing the waters to become denser and therefore sink through the convection process. This sinking process is known as down welling, and is vital in driving ocean currents by feeding water into the deep water currents which transports it back to the tropics. Convection currents transfer heat from one place to another by mass motion of a fluid such as water, air or molten rock. The heat transfer function of convection currents drives the earth's ocean currents, atmospheric weather and geology. Convection is responsible for many of the naturally occurring processes that we see in nature every day. As convection can affect fog layers that are often seen on cool fall mornings, when the air close to the surface is warmer than the atmospheric air higher up. This flow, called mantle convection, is an important method of heat transport within the Earth. Mantle convection is the driving mechanism for plate tectonics, which is the process ultimately responsible for producing earthquakes, mountain ranges, and volcanos on Earth. Heat travels through the pan's metal by conduction to warm the lower layers of water. The water is then heated by convection as the less dense warmer water rises through the cooler water to create convection current. Convection currents also “recycle” lithospheric materials back to the mantle. Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries. As tectonic plates slowly move away from each other, heat from the mantle's convection currents makes the crust more plastic and less dense. Convection currents are identified in Earth's mantle. Heated mantle material is shown rising from deep inside the mantle, while cooler mantle material sinks, creating a convection current. It is thought that this type of current is responsible for the movements of the plates of Earth's crust.

The interaction between the tectonic and the hydrologic systems causes constant recycling of the materials of the Earth's crust. Rocks are heated, metamorphosed, melted, weathered, sediment is transported, deposited and lithified, and then it may be metamorphosed again in yet another cycle. Convection is a vital process which helps to redistribute energy away from hotter areas to cooler areas of the Earth, aiding temperature circulation and reducing sharp temperature differences. Convection currents also “recycle” lithospheric materials back to the mantle. Seafloor spreading occurs at divergent plate boundaries. As tectonic plates slowly move away from each other, heat from the mantle's convection currents makes the crust more plastic and less dense. Convection currents are identified in Earth's mantle. Heated mantle material is shown rising from deep inside the mantle, while cooler mantle material sinks, creating a convection current. It is thought that this type of current is responsible for the movements of the plates of Earth's crust. Convection currents are the movement of fluid as a result of differential heating or convection. In the case of the Earth, convection currents refer to the motion of molten rock in the mantle as radioactive decay heats up magma, causing it to rise and driving the global-scale flow of magma. Consequently, salinity increases and temperature decreases, causing the waters to become denser and therefore sink through the convection process. This sinking process is as down welling, and is vital in driving ocean currents by feeding water into the deep water currents which transports it back to the tropics. Some convection currents are relatively quick cycles, like those in the atmosphere, while others are very slow, like in the mantle. Governed by the principle that warm rises and cool sinks, convection currents cause plate tectonics, thunderstorms, desert and tropical regions, even the Earth's magnetic field. Convection currents transfer heat from one place to another by mass motion of a fluid such as water, air or molten rock. The heat transfer function of convection currents drives the earth's ocean currents, atmospheric weather and geology.