September 30, 2014 Copyright Graphic News. All rights reserved.

The search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 following its disappearance in March, is about to enter the next phase, following a report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) describing the high priority search area in high definition.

Following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on March 8, 2014, searches mounted in both the Gulf of Thailand, South China Sea and Andaman Sea failed to find any trace of the aircraft.

On March 14, scientists at the UK-based satellite company Inmarsat revealed they had received data transmitted automatically from the Boeing 777's engines to one of their satellites for five hours after it disappeared, suggesting the plane was still flying and had not crashed. 

Experts from the UK, United States and Australia, working independently but collaboratively, then analysed the satellite, radar and aircraft performance data. From this data they defined a high priority search zone, an area of 60,000 square kilometres (23,200 square miles) along an arc in the southern Indian Ocean. This so-called 7th Arc corresponds to the seventh and final communication between MH370 and the satellite, and is believed to be where the aircraft's fuel was exhausted.

This area is around Broken Ridge, an extensive underwater plateau sloping between 800 metres (2,625ft) and 3,000 metres (9,843ft) deep. On the southern edge of Broken Ridge the ocean floor drops to more than 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) in places. This area is remote and only low resolution, satellite derived data was available. A high definition bathymetric survey (study of the sea bed) was therefore begun, using data from surface vessels.

A progress report released September 26 by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) described the survey of 41,300 square kilometres (16,000 square miles). This revealed many features of the seabed for the first time, including the remnants of submarine volcanoes (seamounts) as big as Mont Blanc or Mount St Helens, ridges up to 300 meters high, and depressions of up to 1,400 metres deep (compared to the surrounding sea floor). 

A comprehensive search of the sea floor by specialist contractors will now start. This is expected to take about 12 months, but will depend on the weather and other factors.
/ENDS