Purdue-Backed Team Reaches Atoll to Inspect Earhart Clue

A 17-person expedition backed by Purdue University has arrived at Nikumaroro to investigate a submerged object that researchers say could be part of Amelia Earhart’s missing aircraft. The object’s identity remains unconfirmed, and the team’s inspection findings have not been reported. The team reached the remote atoll in Kiribati after a five-day journey, Purdue said. Because the vessel arrived after sunset, fieldwork was postponed until morning. The expedition is examining the Taraia Object, an elongated feature in the lagoon first identified in satellite imagery in 2020. Researchers say it may also be visible in aerial images dating to 1938. The team plans to use sonar, magnetometers and underwater photography to survey the object. The expedition is focused on inspection rather than removing or excavating anything during this trip. Purdue has said that any later recovery of possible aircraft wreckage would require permission from the Kiribati government. Researchers involved in the mission say the object’s shape could be consistent with part or all of Earhart’s Lockheed Electra. They hope the investigation will determine whether the feature merits further archaeological work.