The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 remains the biggest aviation mystery in recent years. On March 8, 2014, the plane flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared from radar with 239 people on board. The plane is thought to have crashed somewhere in the Indian Ocean, but despite a 10-year multinational search that scanned an area of 46,300 square miles and spent more than £100 million, the plane remains missing. But now, tiny sea creatures have become the focus of scientists who believe they could reveal the exact location of the crash. check in subway.
The creatures, known as barnacles, were found clinging to the first piece of debris confirmed to be from MH370. The wreckage was engraved with the words “657 BB”, which was the aileron on the right wing of the plane, and washed up on Reunion Island off the coast of Africa a year after the crash.
Flaperons are metal flaps that run along the trailing edge of the wing and can be seen from the window moving up and down as the aircraft maneuvers.
Satellites and radar have been scanning the suspected crash area for years, but have been unable to pinpoint the plane’s exact location. Scientists believe barnacles will be able to help them in this regard.
The reason is: these little monsters record their lives in their shells, just like the growth rings of a tree. Scientists say that if this information is decoded, it may be possible to trace their path on the flaperons back to the impact site. new york magazine.
The media quoted David Griffin, head of the team of Australian government scientists responsible for investigating the case, as saying: “We stumbled upon something that is more conclusive about the whereabouts of the plane than we expected.”
Known as Lepas anatifera, these barnacles have previously helped researchers track “ghost webs” that endanger wildlife, find missing ships and even investigate mysterious deaths.