Self‐convection of floating heat sources: A model for continental drift

Abstract

Two models of floating heat sources are studied. In the first model the motion of two line heat sources constrained to float at an arbitrary depth in a viscous fluid is determined in the limit of small convection velocities. It is found that the sources drift apart and at great separation attain a constant velocity proportional to the square root of the heat flux. The second model is a floating block heat source, presumed to be very long compared to its depth. It is found to exhibit periodic excursions between the end walls of the fluid container with the same dependence of velocity on heat flux as the line sources. A series of experiments are described which exhibit various features of the theory. The numerical values found when the theory is applied to the earth suggest that the idealized flows may be useful in the interpretation of continental drift.