Plasma data from IMP 8 are used to map the spatial structure of plasma flow in Earth's magnetosheath. Plasma and magnetic field data from instruments on ISEE-3 and WIND are used to normalize the IMP 8 magnetosheath data to upstream solar wind conditions. For the majority of the data, the magnitude and direction of plasma flow inside the magnetosheath agree well with gas-dynamic models. About 8% of the ISEE-3-normalized velocity vectors and 3% of the WIND-normalized velocity vectors exhibit a poleward circulation in the YZ plane. The observed circulation is consistent with predictions for flow within the plasma mantle. The occurrence frequency of these poleward flows increases further down the tail, consistent with predictions that the mantle width increases tailward. Densities are lower where this flow is observed, consistent with expectations for the plasma mantle, but temperatures are higher and the magnetic field magnitudes lower, the opposite of theoretical expectations. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union