Part 2 assembles the observations, concepts and tools that are required for a quantitative discussion of mantle convection. Mantle convection itself is the subject of Part 3.

Although our knowledge of the interior of the earth is incomplete because it is accessible only to indirect observations, there are observations from the earth's surface that impose important constraints on mantle convection. As well, quite a lot is known about mantle structure and properties. This information is summarised in Chapters 4 and 5. It is collected in these chapters so that the discussion of mantle convection will not be cluttered by descriptions of the observations, and so that it is in a readily identifiable place. These two chapters could be read quickly and then used as a reference.

Convection involves two basic physical processes, fluid flow and heat conduction, and the fundamentals of these topics are developed in Chapters 6 and 7. Since fluid flow in particular may not be very familiar to many geological scientists, it is developed at some length. In these chapters, the key ideas and results are developed in as simple a way as possible, so as to make them accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Although there are sections that include more mathematical treatments for those who are interested, these are identified as being more advanced and are not essential to understanding later chapters. Therefore if you are less mathematically inclined, you need not be unduly concerned by glimpses of elaborate equations.