thermal

thumb|Example of a thermal column between the ground and a cumulus

thumb|Thermal cross section with stronger lift (rising air) in darker shades of green, while red is sink (descending air). A thermal column (or thermal) is a rising mass of buoyant air, a convective current in the atmosphere, that transfers heat energy vertically. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of Earth's surface from solar radiation, and are an example of convection, specifically atmospheric convection.