{"id":24346,"date":"2026-10-14T14:50:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T18:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/?p=24346"},"modified":"2026-10-14T14:56:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T18:56:41","slug":"earhart-expedition-update-underwater-survey-of-taraia-object-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/Q4\/earhart-expedition-update-underwater-survey-of-taraia-object-begins","title":{"rendered":"Earhart expedition update: Underwater survey of Taraia Object begins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NIKUMARORO, Kiribati \u2014 The search in Nikumaroro\u2019s lagoon for what could be Amelia Earhart\u2019s Lockheed Electra 10-E is underway. On Wednesday (Oct. 14), members of the Taraia Object expedition, a joint effort between the Archaeological Legacy Institute, Purdue Research Foundation and Purdue University, began the underwater survey at the heart of their investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 17-person team traveled five days by sea from Tarawa, Kiribati, to Nikumaroro, a remote atoll in the South Pacific. The team\u2019s goal is to search for evidence of the castaway hypothesis, the theory that when Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared in July 1937 on the third-to-last leg of her round-the-world flight attempt, the pair landed on this uninhabited island. Work on Nikumaroro is focused on inspecting the Taraia Object, first noticed in satellite imagery in 2020 and later confirmed to be visible on aerial photos taken of the island\u2019s lagoon as far back as 1938.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Purdue Research Foundation originally funded the Lockheed Electra \u201cFlying Laboratory\u201d through the Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research as part of Purdue\u2019s pioneering efforts in aviation. Earhart intended for the plane to be returned to Purdue upon completion of her historic flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A satellite image shows the Taraia Object in a lagoon on Nikumaroro. (Photo provided by Rick Pettigrew, Archaeological Legacy Institute)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the first day of field operations, the maritime archaeology team began surveying the lagoon using a magnetometer and side-scan sonar technology. The magnetometer is used to detect ferrous metals, which could include steel cabling and other metal components from the mostly aluminum Electra, while sonar technology is used to search for objects under sediment on the lagoon floor. The data gathered from these tools will be analyzed to create a more complete and accurate picture for the application of later search techniques, which include the use of a hydroprobe and a water induction dredge to remove sediment from identified objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re following our game plan,\u201d said Rick Pettigrew, executive director of the Archaeological Legacy Institute. \u201cIt\u2019s too early to reach conclusions as we\u2019ve got a lot of science left to apply.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onshore, the solar-powered tech system that will provide connectivity for monitoring devices, including a remote camera and water level transducer, was set up and is operating successfully. These tools will provide ongoing information about Nikumaroro\u2019s weather and tidal flows that has never before been available.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Onshore Earhart work begins<\/h2>\n

Boilermaker Sirisha Bandla holds a coconut crab, one of Nikumaroro\u2019s features. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Onshore Earhart work begins<\/h2>\n

The team uses a drone to examine the Taraia Object in Nikumaroro\u2019s lagoon. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Onshore Earhart work begins<\/h2>\n

Boilermaker Sirisha Bandla sets up equipment in a staging area. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Onshore Earhart work begins<\/h2>\n

The island is infamous for its large coconut crabs, like this one. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Onshore Earhart work begins<\/h2>\n

Nikumaroro is designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Onshore Earhart work begins<\/h2>\n

Boilermaker Steve Schultz surveys equipment the expedition team is using. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Onshore Earhart work begins<\/h2>\n

The expedition team returns to the Marin Mainiku each evening to sleep on board. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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