Mantle convection is the slow, churning movement of the Earth’s mantle caused by heat from the Earth’s core. This process drives plate tectonics, influencing the movement of lithospheric plates and the formation of geological features such as mountains, mid-ocean ridges, and volcanic arcs.
Reference: Turcotte, D. L., & Schubert, G. (2002). “Geodynamics.” Cambridge University Press.