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Convection Currents
Quick revise
Hot currents of molten rock called convection currents move slowly within the earth's mantle which moves the tectonic plates above them in different directions.
The source of heat driving the convection currents is radioactive decay which is happening deep in the Earth.
Convection occurs because the density of a fluid is related to its temperature.
Hot rocks lower in the mantle are less dense than their cooler counterparts above.
The hot rock rises and the cooler rock sinks due to gravity.
