Mantle convection

Mantle convection is like a game of Hot Potato that happens deep beneath the Earth's surface! Imagine a big potato inside the Earth, and this potato is made up of a hot, gooey material called magma, and this magma likes to move around. But the potato is closed at the top, so the heat has nowhere to go.

So, the magma inside the potato gets very hot and starts to rise up towards the surface (like a Hot Potato!). This is because hot things are lighter and rise up, just like when you put a hot air balloon up in the air.

But then, the magma cools down as it gets closer to the surface, and it starts to sink back down towards the bottom of the potato. This is because cooler things are heavier and sink down, just like how your toy boat sinks in the bathtub when you put it under the water.

This constant movement of hot magma rising up and cool magma sinking back down is called convection. It's a bit like a merry-go-round, where the magma keeps going around and around.

And this movement of magma has a big effect on what we see on the surface of the Earth! It can cause things like earthquakes, volcanoes, and even the formation of new mountains over many years. So, while we can't see what's happening deep under the Earth's surface, mantle convection is always at work, shaping the world we live in!