A ship has detected an ultrasonic pulse on a frequency used by "black box" recorders, according to China's state news agency, fueling new hope that searchers might be closing in on a beacon from the Malaysia Airlines jetliner that vanished weeks ago. The Chinese patrol ship found the "pulse signal" in the south Indian Ocean, Xinhua says.
We'll caution that the signal hasn't yet been investigated, and it's too early to draw a connection to the missing flight MH370. The signal's frequency is 37.5 kHz, according to Xinhua. That's the frequency underwater locator beacons use to transmit their location; it's also reportedly used by other systems.
From Xinhua:
"A black box detector deployed by [Chinese patrol ship] Haixun 01 picked up the signal at around 25 degrees south latitude and 101 degrees east longitude. It is yet to be established whether it is related to the missing jet."
We'll update this post as more information comes in.
Fears, hopes, and speculation have marked the four weeks since Flight MH370 disappeared from air traffic control systems after taking off in Kuala Lampur for a flight to Beijing with 239 people on board.
The target search area has been widened and reset several times, as new revelations about the plane's possible flight path have emerged.
An oceanographer reminds CNN that we should all be patient in determining the import of the reported signal:
"We've had a lot of red herrings, hyperbole on this whole search," Simon Boxall of the University of Southampton says. "I'd really like to see this data confirmed."
Noting that other marine equipment also uses the 37.5 kHz frequency, he added, "It could be a false signal."
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