Thermal

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.

Extends: [Atmospheric thermodynamics](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Atmospheric thermodynamics), [Aviation meteorology](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Aviation meteorology), [Gliding technology](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Gliding technology), [Severe weather and convection](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Severe weather and convection)