(Transcript from World News Radio)
Australian authorities are warning that the wreckage of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 could be hidden in a deep valley in the Indian Ocean.
That's one of the possibilities that's emerged from a mapping exercise of the search area, that has revealed a more complex seafloor than previously realised.
Zara Zaher has the details.
(Click on audio tab above to listen to this item)
Almost five months after the Malaysian plane carrying 239 people went missing, the search continues for the wreckage in the southern Indian Ocean off the West Australian coast.
The high priority search area covers about 60,000 square kilometres - that's almost the size of Tasmania.
Just over half of that area has been surveyed by two vessels - one Australian, and one operated by the Chinese Navy.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Martin Dolan says the mapping is revealing a complex and steep terrain.
"From a depth of something like 4800 metres to the north it gets to as low as 1500 metres to the south and the terrain becomes more difficult. We haven't completed the mapping so we are still discovering detailed features that we had no knowledge of, underwater volcanoes and various other things. We are finding some surprises as we go through."
The next stage of the search for the missing plane is due to begin next month, involving the Dutch company Fugro.
Fugro, which has been involved in the mapping stage, has now been awarded the contract to begin sonar scanning of the search area.
Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss says the next phase could take up to a year, but he's hopeful of success.
"I remain cautiously optimistic that we will locate the missing aircraft within the priority search area. This search will obviously be a challenging one. Fugro will use two vessels equipped with towed deepwater vehicles and carrying expert personnel to undertake the search operations. The vessels will search the sea floor using side scan sonars, multi-beam echo sounders and video cameras to locate and identify the debris."
Martin Dolan from the Transport Safety Bureau says it's impossible to predict how fast the two ships will be able to operate.
"There's no simple answer. Sometimes you will have to follow the contours, as they're known. There are others where it's a flat area where you can do long tows pick up the definition you need, and in some areas will be so complex we'll have to do a close examination much slower. We still hope that area can be covered within a year if we have to cover the whole area."
The deputy Prime Minister is emphasising that the task at present is merely to try to locate the wreckage of the plane - and Australia is only in charge of the search phase.
Mr Truss says Malaysia remains in charge of trying to find out what actually happened to MH370, which disappeared during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
"The investigation is the responsibility of Malaysia because that is the flag that the aircraft carried. And we're obviously been assisting in that process but that is their responsibility. They've asked us to look after this search phase and that's the initiatives we are taking at the present time. But clearly there will be a high level of cooperation in relation to investigation when the time comes. One would imagine that if a decision is made to recover debris, that it is very likely to be brought to shore in Australia because that's the closest place to bring it, and then decisions will have to be made about what further action needs to be taken there."
Mr Truss says China is continuing to be involved in the mapping phase, and is being fully informed of any other developments.
Most of the 227 passengers on board MH370 were Chinese nationals - six were Australians.
Share
