Researchers on a remote Pacific island say they are investigating an object that could be Amelia Earhart's plane, but nothing has been confirmed.
A 17-person expedition from the Archaeological Legacy Institute, Purdue Research Foundation, and Purdue University reached Nikumaroro, an uninhabited atoll in Kiribati, on Oct. 12 after a five-day voyage. They are examining the "Taraia Object," a visual anomaly in the island's lagoon. It first drew attention in satellite images in 2020, and researchers say it also appears in photos from 1938.
What have they done so far?
The team went ashore Oct. 13 and began an underwater survey Oct. 14, using a magnetometer to detect metal and sonar to look beneath lagoon sediment. Storms stopped shore work on Oct. 15, but Purdue says the expedition is on schedule, with two more field days planned. It expects to share an identification update within 48 hours of Oct. 15.
Why Nikumaroro?
Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan vanished on July 2, 1937, while flying to Howland Island, about 400 miles from Nikumaroro. Their last radio calls reported cloud cover and low fuel. The "castaway hypothesis" holds that they landed on Nikumaroro. It remains unproven.
What about the giant crabs?
The team sleeps aboard its ship because the island is crowded with nocturnal coconut crabs. Purdue says at least four were seen and posed no threat to the operation.
