Convection carries heat to the surface of the mantle much faster than heating by conduction. Conduction is heat transfer by collisions between molecules, and is how heat is transferred from the stove to the soup pot. Ocean currents act much like a conveyer belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface.

Convection within the atmosphere can often be observed in our weather. As the sun heats the Earth's surface, the air above it heats up and rises. If conditions allow, this air can continue to rise, cooling as it does so, forming Cumulus clouds. Some currents are caused by convection, while others, called surface currents, are driven by wind. These currents move water all around the earth, bringing warm water to cooler areas and vice versa. This redistributes thermal energy and causes changes in the weather. Because of the Earth's surface is unevenly heated, there are big differences in air temperature from the equator to the poles and over different types of terrain. These temperature differences are what cause convection in the atmospheric and air to circulate over the globe. Ocean currents act much like a conveyer belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface. Oceans heat up and cool down much more slowly than land. This means that coastal locations tend to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter than places inland at the same latitude and altitude. Convection carries heat to the surface of the mantle much faster than heating by conduction. Conduction is heat transfer by collisions between molecules, and is how heat is transferred from the stove to the soup pot. Conduction, radiation, and convection all play a role in moving heat between Earth's surface and the atmosphere. Since air is a poor conductor, most energy transfer by conduction occurs right near Earth's surface. Conduction directly affects air temperature only a few centimeters into the atmosphere. Convection currents are the result of differential heating. Lighter (less dense), warm material rises while heavier (more dense) cool material sinks. It is this movement that creates circulation patterns known as convection currents in the atmosphere, in water, and in the mantle of Earth. Convection currents are the result of differential heating. Lighter (less dense), warm material rises while heavier (more dense) cool material sinks. It is this movement that creates circulation patterns known as convection currents in the atmosphere, in water, and in the mantle of Earth.

Heat is transferred to the surface of the Earth from the hot Earth's core by conduction and from radiation from the Sun. The atmosphere is heated by absorption of some of the electromagnetic radiation from the Sun, and contact with the warm surface of the land and water. Convection carries heat to the surface of the mantle much faster than heating by conduction. Conduction is heat transfer by collisions between molecules, and is how heat is transferred from the stove to the soup pot.Convection currents are the result of differential heating. Lighter warm material rises while heavier cool material sinks. It is this movement that creates circulation patterns known as convection currents in the atmosphere, in water, and in the mantle of Earth. Mantle convection describes the movement of the mantle as it transfers heat from the white-hot core to the brittle lithosphere. The mantle is heated from below, cooled from above, and its overall temperature decreases over long periods of time. All these elements contribute to mantle convection. Conduction directly affects air temperature only a few centimeters into the atmosphere. During the day, sunlight heats the ground, which in turn heats the air directly above it via conduction. At night, the ground cools and the heat flows from the warmer air directly above to the cooler ground via conduction. While conduction is the transfer of heat energy by direct contact, convection is the movement of heat by actual motion of matter; radiation is the transfer of energy with the help of electromagnetic waves. The matter is present around us, in three states, solid, liquid and gas. Convection within the atmosphere can often be observed in our weather. For example, as the sun heats the Earth's surface, the air above it heats up and rises. If conditions allow, this air can continue to rise, cooling as it does so, forming Cumulus clouds. 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.Generally, transport of heat and moisture by the movement of a fluid. In meteorology, the term is used specifically to describe vertical transport of heat and moisture in the atmosphere, especially by updrafts and downdrafts in an unstable atmosphere. The ocean warms and cools more slowly than the atmosphere, thus coastal weather tends to be more moderate than continental weather, with fewer hot and cold extremes. Evaporation from the ocean, especially in the tropics, creates most rain clouds, influencing the location of wet and dry zones on land.