Originally Posted by
Orestes
Could jet fuel dissipate so quickly in the ocean to have already disappeared?
Yes.
You will recall that the early search period was hampered by bad weather. aviation fuel is considerably lighter and more volatile than furnace fuel oil or bunker oil from a ship. It would be dispersed quite quickly in heavy seas.
It is also conceivable that fuel in unruptured tanks would not be released and could still be trapped in the tanks at depth. Even if later released at depth it is unlikely to be visible on the surface.