This is a drawing depicting the motions in earth's atmosphere. Click on image for full size version (117K JPG) Image from: Random House Atlas

Motions in the interior of a planet helps to carry heat from the core to the planet's surface.

The drawing to the left illustrates a kind of global motion that is typical of motions in the atmosphere as well as the interior of a planet. Material rises from where it is warmest, and moves in a roiling motion like the boiling of a pot. The material eventually cools enough to sink again. In the drawing, there are three different cells of activity in the atmosphere where the air turns over (depicted by red sheets).

In the interior of Neptune, the ice layers are warm enough to move in this fashion. Some scientists think, however, that the interior of Neptune may have a different sort of motion.

The magnetosphere of Neptune seems to be produced by motions in the icy layers inside Neptune. More study is needed in order to decide exactly what kind of motion Neptune has.

This is a drawing depicting the motions in earth's atmosphere. Click on image for full size version (117K JPG) Image from: Random House Atlas

Motions in the interior of a planet help carry heat from the inside to the outside.

The drawing to the left illustrates a kind of global motion that is typical of motions in the atmosphere as well as interior of a planet. Material rises from where it is warmest, and moves in a roiling motion like the boiling of a pot. In the drawing, there are three different cells of activity in the atmosphere where the air turns over (depicted by red sheets).

In the interior of Neptune, the ice layers are warm enough to move in this fashion. However, some scientists think that the interior of Neptune may have a different sort of motion. The magnetosphere of Neptune seems to be produced by motions in the icy layers inside Neptune.

This is a drawing depicting the motions in earth's atmosphere. Click on image for full size version (117K JPG) Image from: Random House Atlas

Motions in the interior of a planet help to move heat from the inside to the outside.

The drawing shows a kind of movement that is usual in the atmosphere as well as the inside of a planet. Material moves the way water does in a pot that is boiling. In the drawing, there are three different red sheets of activity where the air is turning over.

The ice layers inside Neptune are warm enough to move in this way, but some scientists think that the interior of Neptune may have a different sort of motion. Motion inside Neptune's icy layers seem to be responsible for Neptune's magnetosphere.