After a four-month pause to scan the ocean floor, search ships will once again launch in the Indian Ocean to look for wreckage from the lost MH 370 flight. The first of three ship, the GO Phoenix, will reach the search field on Sunday, the AP reports.
The search was paused so that scientists could create a detailed map of the ocean floor in the area where researchers believe the plane went down. The region, largely un-studied by scientists, features underwater volcanoes, deep canyons and mountains that could wreak havoc on the delicate search equipment, which will be towed behind search boats just 30.5m above the sea floor.
Now that the mapping is complete, experts expect the three search vessels to spend up to a year hunting for clues far off the west coast of Australia. With sonar, video cameras, jet fuel sensors and two underwater search vessels, the search will hopefully turn up something more conclusive than the many false alarms that marred the early investigation. [Mashable]
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