Heat Flow in the Earth
Determining the temperature distribution in the earth has long been a major focus of the physical sciences. Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building and metamorphism are all controlled by the generation and transfer of heat within the earth, and the earth’s thermal budget controls the activity of the earth’s rigid outer layer (the lithosphere) as well as the interior dynamics of the earth. Understanding the role of heat flow in the earth today also helps us understand how the earth might have evolved from its initial molten state 4600 million years ago. In Monday’s talk I will outline the physical mechanisms of heat transfer (conduction, convection radiation and advection), and then discuss how the flow of heat from the center to the surface of the earth affects and is mediated by the large scale composition and structure of the earth.