convection
/kənˈvɛkʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
The movement caused within a fluid by the tendency of hotter and therefore less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat: the final transfer of energy to the surface is by convection upward convection in the troposphere carries water vapour and sulphur dioxide above the clouds...
- One possibility that must be considered is that the heat from the waste package could induce convection of the fluids within the host rock and enhance flow rates in the vicinity of the disposal.
- In convection heat is transferred through air or fluid circulation.
- There are only 3 ways that heat can be transferred - by conduction, convection, or radiation.
Derivatives
convectional
- In arid areas, the rainfall is caused by convectional instability through heating of the ground surface.
- Its resulting temperature inertia greatly modifies the temperature regimes of adjacent land, largely by the convectional circulation of air.
- We did not observe movements having a vectorial nature consistent with a convectional flow; however, the number of data points collected during our experiments may not have been large enough to identify this type of motion.
convective
- This cycle is repeated over and over to generate what scientists call a convection cell or convective flow.
- As long as the bird is resting and those feathers are sealed off, you do not have substantial free convection and easy convective movement-it is all conduction and radiation processes within the feathers.
- The conditions required for tropical cyclones are also suitable conditions for thunderstorms, deep convective clouds with strong updraughts.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from late Latin convectio(n-), from Latin convehere, from con- 'together' + vehere 'carry'.