Plates Colliding (IMAGE) University of Southern California Caption This image shows a computer model of typical mantle flow patterns. To study the surface deformation, the team needed to understand the flow in the upper 800 km of the Earth's mantle. The mantle flow patter mimics the swirl in the surface geology but is smoother with longer flow paths. Credit Louis Moresi / Monash University Usage Restrictions For news stories only. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.