Purdue team to inspect possible Earhart wreck
Researchers from Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute will travel to Nikumaroro in November 2025 to examine a "Taraia Object" spotted in lagoon imagery that they say is very likely Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra. The team plans on-site photography and video, magnetometer and sonar surveys, and then dredging and lifting the object to attempt identification; the effort follows recent declassification of Earhart-related U.S. records.
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🔍 Key Facts
- Expedition led by Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute is scheduled for November 2025.
- The target—called the Taraia Object—sits in a lagoon at Nikumaroro, Kiribati; imagery of it dates back to 1938 and Nikumaroro is about 400 miles southeast of Howland Island.
- Field methods include photography/video, magnetometer and sonar scans, followed by dredging and lifting the object for physical identification; Purdue officials said evidence is 'very, very strong' while other researchers remain skeptical.