What type of lift occurs when the sun heats the earth?

Convective lift is the correct answer because it specifically refers to the process whereby warm air rises due to heating from the Earth's surface. When the sun heats the Earth, the surface warms up, and this heat is transferred to the air immediately above it. As this air becomes warmer, it becomes less dense and rises, creating vertical currents or thermals. This rising air is a fundamental aspect of convective lift and plays a significant role in various weather phenomena, including thunderstorms.

Frontal lift involves the lifting of air masses when they meet, typically at a cold front or warm front, which is not the primary mechanism of lift driven by solar heating. Mechanical turbulence arises from obstacles such as buildings or terrain that disrupt airflow but does not result from heating processes. Orographic lift occurs when air is forced to rise over geographical features like mountains, which is again unrelated to the direct heating of the Earth by the sun.