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One possible reason, among a few, that #OceanGate submarine lost communications and hasn’t been located is something that messes with how sound travels through water, #thermoclines. They can act as blocks or conduits for sound. Caused by differences in water density.
Water density changes because of temperature and salinity, mainly. When a sound encounters these changes in density it can be reflected so something below it won’t be heard by something on top. They can also form a conduit where sound bounces between two layers.
When thermoclines act as a sound conduit they allow the sound to travel great distances and still be picked up. So a boat on the surface above a submarine may not hear it but a sonar miles and miles away may pick it up like it’s next door.
The same thing happens with radio signals in the atmosphere. This is why certain times of the day or during certain weather events you can pickup radio stations far away. For underwater searches this can make things a bit difficult but not impossible.
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