Originally Posted by Jeff
Takata, do you mean that the pingers signal separation (1.5 to 4 NM) could be spurious and due to multipath (like echoes, delayed replicas) induced by the rough seafloor ?
This will give the incertitude range but it is not the only factor. Sinking down to 3,000-4,000 depth in mountainous terrain might give separations even if both were close in surface. One piece may sink and hit one sloped face of a mountain, roll down into one valley while another may sink and hit the other face and roll down into a different valley.