  We show that systematic differences between surface Doppler and magnetic
element tracking measures of solar meridional flow can be explained by the
effects of surface turbulent magnetic diffusion. Feature-tracking speeds are
lower than plasma speeds in low and mid-latitudes, because magnetic diffusion
opposes poleward plasma flow in low-latitudes whereas it adds to plasma flow at
high latitudes. Flux transport dynamo models must input plasma flow; the
model-outputs yield estimates of the surface magnetic feature tracking speed.
We demonstrate that the differences between plasma speed and magnetic pattern
speed in a flux-transport dynamo are consistent with the observed difference
between these speeds.
