First, mm43: Thanks so much for your great work (as usual)! Those depictions make it so much easier to get one's head around the messages and timings.
Speaking of locating the remains of the aircraft...
As it may relate to AF447, I have been trying to get a handle (as a lay person) on sonar systems, technology and capabilities. From my reading it seems the capability (and possibly the in situ equipment) exists to have recorded the noises of AF447's initial impact, descent of pieces, and even the impact with the ocean floor of some portions.
Apparently there may well have been stationary (permanently installed) sensors in various parts of the Atlantic, as well as onboard sensors of ships / subs at sea of course, that would have recorded the above mentioned noise.
We know the time (within a few minutes), so if there were even two or three widely separated monitoring / recording stations, then it follows that it should be relatively easy to arrive at a fairly precise location. This of course is predicated on the respective governments / agencies sharing data with BEA.
Discussion?
Sam