What term describes the loss of heat through the movement of gas or fluids?

The term that describes the loss of heat through the movement of gas or fluids is convective heat loss. This process occurs when the surrounding air or fluids carry heat away from the body. For example, when wind blows over a surface, it removes heat from that surface more quickly than still air would. This mechanism is significantly important in search and rescue operations, particularly in cold environments, as it can increase the risk of hypothermia if appropriate measures are not taken to mitigate heat loss.

In contrast, the other terms refer to different heat loss mechanisms. Conduction heat loss involves direct transfer of heat through physical contact with a colder surface, radiative heat loss pertains to heat lost in the form of infrared radiation, and evaporative heat loss relates to heat loss through the process of sweat evaporation. Each of these processes plays a distinct role in thermal regulation, but convective heat loss specifically captures the essence of heat transfer via moving gases or fluids.