Despite today's advanced sensors and seismographs, scientists know very little about what happens in the layers beneath the earth's surface. Researchers in Münster are hoping to learn more with the help of computer simulations. They show how currents of molten rock move at great depths in the earth's mantle, and how they push apart the crust. Bolstered by data from radio telescopes that monitor the motions of the continents, the results show that Europe and North America are moving apart at a rate of two centimeters per year, while Africa and Europe are moving closer together.