MH370: New search area calmer and more conducive for recovery efforts

The new search area determined by the Australian Maritime Security Authority (AMSA) is in an area of the ocean where the weather and sea conditions are much calmer, according to Professor Charitha Pattiaratchi, Winthrop Professor of Coastal Oceanography, University of Western Australia.

With satellite information provided by Malaysia that had tracked flight MH370 between the Straits of Malacca and the Indian Ocean, AMSA on Friday moved the search area 1,100 km north of the initial search area.

The new search area is now 1,850 km west of Perth and covers an area of 319,000 square kilometres. That part of the ocean is known as 'Broken Plateau'.

"The sea is much calmer compared to the initial search area. The waves average around 2 meters compared to 4 metres further south. So it would actually ease search and recovery efforts," he explained.

However, the huge area comes with a whole set of new challenges, and Professor Pattiarachi likens the 1,100 km move further north as similar to moving from Hong Kong to Beijing.

"Imagine trying to look for a single plane in a huge area like China, and you are doing it blind. Why? Because it's all underwater. It's difficult," he said.

And even if the exact spot where the plane went down is determined, it isn't easy to recover wreckage that has sunk to the bottom of the seabed as the area has a rough and varied terrain.

"The depth ranges from 2,000 and 4,000 metres. There are also regions that have underwater mountains and ridges, with some going one kilometre straight down. You would need specialised robots to access the area," said Professor Pattiarachi.

With all being said, Professor Pattiarachi feels that this is still a positive step that will bring us closer to flight MH370.

"With every single data and information, we have progress. The search has moved from the South China Sea to the Andaman Sea and now the Indian Ocean. We are getting closer," he concluded.