Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

A New Mechanism for Convection in the Mantle and Continental Accretion

Nature volume 197, pages 582–583 (1963)Cite this article

Abstract

THE study of palæomagnetism has necessitated the contemplation of continental drift and the most plausible explanation appears to be convection in the mantle1,2. It has been assumed that the convection is thermal, being maintained by heat from the core. The purpose of this communication is to point out that there is another, quite natural cause for convective-type motion, which avoids certain difficulties encountered in the purely thermal explanation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Runcorn, S. K., Nature, 193, 311 (1962).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Dietz, R. S., Nature, 190, 854 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ringwood, A. E., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 25, 1 (1961).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lehman, I., Bull. Seism. Soc. Amer., 43, 291 (1953); Contributions to Geophysics, 1, 121 (Pergamon Press, New York, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Stacey, F. D., Icarus (in the press).

  6. Runcorn, S. K., Nature, 195, 1150 (1962).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Runcorn, S. K., Nature, 195, 1248 (1962).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lyttleton, R. A., Nature, 197, 276 (1963).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Meteorological Office Research Unit, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge

    F. D. STACEY

Authors
  1. F. D. STACEY
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

STACEY, F. A New Mechanism for Convection in the Mantle and Continental Accretion. Nature 197, 582–583 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/197582a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/197582a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing