Planetary accretion
Primordial heat
Convection conduction
Between the land and atmosphere, seasonal tendencies dominant the landscape during the Yellowstone winter. Much deeper than appearances, these active hydrothermal features indicate an intricate volcanic system pulsing below. Dynamic temperature contrasts and energy transfers are on full display.
“The fluidity of a material is proportional to temperature; thus, the solid mantle can still flow on long time scales, as a function of its temperature and therefore as a function of the flow of Earth’s internal heat.” – Donald L. Turcotte