ABSTRACT
The transfer of heat across the boundary between the core and mantle is fundamentally important, not just for the core and mantle individually, but also for the Earth as a whole. Core-mantle heat transfer determines the rate of growth of the solid inner core and, by controlling the rate at which energy is released to drive the geodynamo, exerts long-term control on the strength and the structure of the geomagnetic field. It also influences the structure and the dynamics of the heterogeneous D″ layer at the base of the mantle, and may have direct influence on surface processes including plate tectonics and continental breakup through generation of deep mantle plumes.
