Researchers from Cardiff University have detected a puzzling underwater signal that may provide clues about the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished in 2014. Analyzed data from hydrophones in the Indian Ocean revealed a six-second sound coinciding with the plane’s presumed crash time. While further investigation is needed, experts suggest using controlled explosions to refine the search area, potentially leading to the plane’s location or necessitating a reevaluation of previous search efforts.
“If the recommendations are adhered to by the relevant authorities, we could evaluate the significance of the observed signals and potentially uncover the location of flight MH370.” Over ten years after one of the most perplexing enigmas in aviation history, could we finally locate the missing Boeing 777 of Malaysia Airlines? The aircraft vanished on March 8, 2014, after an unexplained deviation from its planned flight path, taking with it 239 passengers who have never been found. How can such a large aircraft disappear in an era when countless radars and satellites monitor the skies? This is the question that has intrigued people worldwide for a decade, leading researchers at Cardiff University to propose a theory: the crash of MH370 may have been captured by underwater microphones.
Hydrophones Detect a Puzzling Signal in the Indian Ocean
In June 2024, the *Telegraph* reported that researchers from Wales detected a signal that could provide new insights into the mystery surrounding MH370. It all began with a crucial observation: a 200-ton aircraft crashing at a speed of 200 meters per second creates **a substantial kinetic energy, akin to that of a minor earthquake**. Hydrophones, which are underwater microphones, can detect earthquakes (even those of low intensity) from as far as 5,000 kilometers away. Two hydroacoustic stations are positioned within this range in the Indian Ocean, the suspected crash site of the plane: one on the British island of Diego Garcia, south of India, and the other at Cape Leeuwin on Australia’s west coast. Notably, satellite signals indicated that MH370 continued flying for nearly five hours after it disappeared from air traffic radar, heading south over the Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have ultimately crashed due to fuel exhaustion.
Researchers from Cardiff meticulously analyzed data from the hydroacoustic stations. While the first station recorded no signals, the second detected **a six-second sound at approximately the time the Malaysia Airlines plane would have entered the water**. Dr. Usama Kadri, an applied mathematics researcher, remarked to the *Telegraph*, “This raises questions about its origin.” Although this discovery is not definitive—given that the Diego Garcia station did not detect the signal despite being the same distance as Cape Leeuwin—it remains captivating: “Considering the sensitivity of hydrophones, **it is highly improbable that a large aircraft striking the ocean surface would not produce a detectable pressure signature**, especially on nearby hydrophones,” the scientist added.
Refining Search Efforts for Flight MH370
While researchers advocate for further investigation, the uncertainty surrounding the data poses a challenge: “Regrettably, we have yet to identify a signal with the necessary clarity to initiate a new search for the missing plane. Nevertheless, if the competent authorities act on our recommendations, we can evaluate the significance of the observed signals, which may illuminate the whereabouts of flight MH370.” These suggestions include **replicating the strategy used to locate the military submarine ARA San Juan, which vanished off Argentina’s coast in November 2017** due to an implosion. To locate the wreck, controlled explosions were set off in the ocean to simulate a similar intensity. The signals from these explosions were then compared to those captured by the hydrophones during the submarine’s implosion, leading to its discovery at a depth of nearly 3,000 feet, 290 nautical miles from the Argentine coast. Cardiff researchers propose that **“a similar operation, employing explosions or air cannons with energy levels comparable to those expected from flight MH370, could be executed along the seventh arc,”** an imaginary line where the plane is believed to have crashed.
Two potential scenarios would emerge from this approach. If the explosion signals align with those detected on the day of MH370’s disappearance, **“this would greatly refine the location of the plane, almost pinpointing it accurately.”** Conversely, if the sounds picked up by the hydrophones do not correlate, it would necessitate a **“reassessment of the timeline or location established by previous official search efforts.”**