Can a radar trace depict an aircraft breaking up?
Depending on how fast the breakup and how many large pieces, pretty sure it can. Some sort of radar (IIRC) Picked up the space shuttle disintegrating some years ago, didn't it?
BBC (UK) reporting that:
BBC has confirmed that a man falsely using an Italian passport and a man falsely using an Austrian passport purchased tickets at the same time, and were both booked on the same onward flight from Beijing to Europe on Saturday
also that the USA's wonder tracking systems have not picked up any sign of an explosion in the atmosphere in the vicinity of the flightpath, ruling out a bomb/explosion.....
...and so the speculation goes on and on.....