Final answer:
The false statement about convection within the Earth is d) Convection within the Earth occurs in response to a decrease in density due to heating. In reality, convection occurs because heated material becomes less dense and then rises.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which statement about convection within the Earth is FALSE. By understanding convection and its role in plate tectonics, we can evaluate each statement.
The correct statements are: a) Convection within the Earth is important in driving plate tectonics; b) Convection within the Earth is correlated to processes that occur on its surface, as it drives the motion of tectonic plates which shapes the surface through earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic activity; c) Convection within the Earth indeed transfers mass and heat as warmer, less dense materials rise and cooler, denser materials sink. This leaves us with d), which might seem tricky.
However, convection occurs because of an increase in density due to heating, not a decrease. The correct answer and the false statement within these options is d) Convection within the Earth occurs in response to a decrease in density due to heating, as this is actually the opposite of what happens - density decreases, allowing hotter material to rise.