Posted on 03/24/2014 10:27:48 AM PDT by Star Traveler
"This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites,'' Mr. Najib said. "It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.''
The latest calculations were based on a new analysis of the satellite-operator's original data, relying on minute changes in the frequency of the electronic "pings"—or attempts to link up with satellites—received from the plane during its more than six-hour flight after dropping off radar, according to Tim Farrar, a satellite industry consultant.
Inmarsat was able to correlate two streams of data to form a more precise picture of where the Boeing 777 may have ended up, Mr. Farrar said. The initial data stream focused on the timing of the "pings" from the plane, he said, revealing distance from the satellite. The later stream focused on frequency changes involving the "Doppler effect," he said, revealing the plane's speed.
The Doppler effect has to do with changes in the frequency of a moving source of waves relative to an observer.
"It shows there is a lot more information hidden in what appears to be simple satellite data," Mr. Farrar said. The latest analysis also indicated "there is a higher likelihood of the plane ending up in certain parts" of the southern arc.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
In this particular case ... the information came from the Brits, by way of Inmarsat ...
They had information that Inmarsat gave them, saying that the plane didn’t go on the northern route, but the southern route. And they had a fairly precise location for the plane. That combined with the knowledge of the amount of fuel they had, plus the fact that there are no airports within any kind of reasonable distance - means that the ocean was the only place it could “land” or crash.
That’s how they know “they’re gone”. It only remains to try and find the black box before the signal quits and/or find some remaining debris on the surface of the ocean.
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