Link to USGS home page
USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS
Coastal & Marine Geology InfoBank

USGS CMG InfoBank: Convection in the Core

Skip navigational links
Search InfoBank
Home tab Atlas tab Activities tab FACS tab Geology School tab More tab More tab Geology School tabs
   
Dictionaries: The USGS and Science Education   USGS Fact Sheets   Topics   Keywords   Data Dictionary   Metadata Dictionary   Computer Terminology   Digital Formats
InfoBank Terms: Activity ID   activity overview   crew   formal metadata   lines   metadata   NGDC   port stops   project/theme   region   ship   stations   time   virtual globe   year  
Data Types: bathymetry   geodetic positioning   gravity   ground penetrating radar   imagery   LIDAR   magnetics   metering equipment   navigation   samples   seismic   definitions disclaimer  
Data Formats: ARC coverage   E00   FGDC metadata   gridded/image   imaging   material   scattered/swath   Shapefile   vector/polygon  
   
Comment: 19:53 - 20:30 (00:37)

Source: Annenberg/CPB Resources - Earth Revealed - 6. Plate Dynamics

Keywords: "Don L. Anderson", convection, mantle, core, "Kormel Boundary", viscosity, "magnetic field"

Our transcription: Whether there is boundary layer convection in the mantle or not, there is another kind of convection that occurs in the outer portion of the Earth's core.

Then, as we cross the Kormel Boundary we're into a very low viscosity fluid molten iron core.

This is convecting very, very rapidly and forming the Earth's magnetic field, so basically we have two parts of the Earth that are convecting.

The mantle is a very sluggish high viscosity fluid, more or less like tar that's trying to convect on a hot day.

Whereas, the core itself has more the viscosity of water, and it's convecting very, very rapidly.

So there's two scales of convection and two kinds of convection in the Earth.

Geology School Keywords

Skip footer navigational links


InfoBank   Menlo Park & Santa Cruz Centers   St. Petersburg Center   Woods Hole Center   Coastal and Marine Geology Program   Geologic Information   Ask-A-Geologist   USGS Disclaimer  

FirstGov button   Take Pride in America button