Rift/Mid-Ocean Ridge.
Magma eventually comes up and creates new ocean floor
If the heating is done on one small area on the top, there will be convection. If the heating is restricted to a small fraction of the heating area, then within that area the heating will go deeper than anywhere else on the surface. Then unheated area will have a shallower region of high temperature. Then some convection will occur in the deeper layers, causing some motion on top.
This happens quite a bit during welding. Convection is very significant in welding, even when the heating is from the top.
Which atoms? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`