The Earth's crust and upper mantle are called the lithosphere. Plate tectonics is a theory describing the movement of the 7 large tectonic plates that make up the lithosphere. Each year, tectonic plates only move a maximum distance of 100 mm. When tectonic plates meet, they can slide over or under each other, leading to earthquakes, volcanic activity, the creation of mountains and islands, and the formation of ocean trenches. There are many theories about how tectonic plates move, including convection. Convection is heat waves that rise from the Earth's molten core and influence plate activity. Convection can be attributed to volcanic activity, seafloor spreading as well as earthquakes. According to the theory, heat transfer by convection is responsible for the spreading of the ocean floor. New ocean crust can form during volcanic activity, when magma rises to the ocean floor from cracks in the Earth's mantle due to convection. Gradually, the seafloor moves away from the center of the cracks and causes plate tectonic movement. Convection currents are created by heat rising from the Earth's core through cracks in the mantle. The currents are trapped in the lithosphere of the seafloor. As heat builds up, the mantle cracks and magma rises through the cracks and pushes the plates apart, resulting in the creation of a new seafloor, which then causes the seafloor to expand and plate tectonic movement. Convection currents can also cause volcanic activity. When tectonic plates move past each other, mountains form. When convection currents cause magma to rise to the surface of these mountains, active volcanoes form. This makes sense since most active volcanoes are located along plate boundaries. Convection can...... middle of paper ...... the beaker of water is observed to have similar swirling motions and upward displacement of the fluid, leaving the heat source similar to the activity magma under the earth's crust. In conclusion, convection currents are responsible for many processes that occur on Earth, such as earthquakes, plate tectonic movements and shifts, as well as volcanic activity, ocean floor spreading, conditions weather patterns, ocean patterns and magnetism in the Earth's core. By causing an increase in heat in the form of gas or magma, parts of the Earth's crust can be damaged or displaced, leading to geological events. These theories are increasingly supported by recent research and experiments. Although much is known about convection currents, little is known about how they affect our Earth. We have discovered only a small fraction of the plethora of ways convection currents can affect our Earth and our universe..