Article
Article
Earth's heat flow
Article By:
Pollack, Henry N. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Last reviewed:November 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.208940
The amount of heat escaping per unit time from the interior across each unit area of the Earth's solid surface. The movement of heat within the Earth and its eventual loss through the surface are central elements in the modern theory of plate tectonics. The plate movements over the surface of the Earth are seen as one manifestation of a heat engine at work in the interior, and the heat flow at the surface as the exhaust from the engine. See also: Earth's interior; Plate tectonics
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
