Edited and translated by Du Mingming, People's Daily Online
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia, on 24 March 2014, that new analysis of satellite data suggested that the missingMalaysia Airlines Flight MH370 "terminated" in the southern Indian Ocean. He also saidthe type of analysis used to investigate the mystery of the jetliner's disappearance hasnever been used before. The statement sparked intense speculation on the part ofinternational media.
Australian aviation specialists say the wreckage could be identified through barnacle tests
Australian aviation specialists say that tests should be conducted on barnacles attached toany material recovered from the debris spotted on Monday by Chinese aircraft searchingfor the missing plane.
Jason Middleton, head of the School of Aviation at University of New South Wales, toldXinhua that any floating debris would attract barnacles, and it was easy for marine expertsto determine from them how long the debris had been in the water.
Professor Chun H. Wang from RMIT, also the Director of the Sir Lawrence WackettAerospace Research Centre, said that the first priority when the debris was brought toshore would be to examine what was on the surface. These tests will determine how longthe debris has been in the water, and whether that fits the timeline of the plane'sdisappearance. "If the timeline of the barnacles corresponds with the timetable of themissing plane, then it can be considered a valuable lead, and further examination can becarried out," said Wang.
A barnacle is a cirripede, a kind of crustacean, which is found in or very close to sea water.It is covered with hard plates of calcium carbonate. Once it finds a suitable location, itsecretes an adhesive from its antennae and remains permanently attached to hardsurfaces.
Read the Chinese version: 为何未见残骸就确认“终结”?; Source: Beijing News
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