Researchers Planned Expedition to Nikumaroro
The mission aimed to investigate an underwater object theorized to be Amelia Earhart’s aircraft.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Geography
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In 2026, researchers began planning an expedition to Nikumaroro to examine an underwater object near Taraia Point. Richard Pettigrew theorized the object is the remains of Amelia Earhart's aircraft, potentially exposed by 2015 storm surges.
Why it matters
Identifying the object could resolve a decades-long mystery regarding Earhart’s final flight and disappearance. Proponents believe the site aligns with evidence found on the island, including remnants of aircraft materials and historical skeletal remains.
The 2020 identification of the object followed analysis of satellite imagery first showing the shape on April 27, 2015. Forensic dogs previously searched the island in 2017, and thirteen bones discovered in 1940 were later linked to a woman of European descent.
The players
Richard Pettigrew
He is a researcher who theorized that the object near Taraia Point represents the remains of Amelia Earhart's aircraft.
Amelia Earhart
She was a pioneering aviator who disappeared during her attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 1937.
TIGHAR
The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery is an organization dedicated to investigating aviation history and Earhart's disappearance.
Michael Ashmore
He is the researcher who identified an indistinct shape resembling an aircraft in satellite imagery of Nikumaroro in 2020.
The details
Michael Ashmore identified the indistinct underwater shape via satellite imagery, suggesting it appeared after Tropical Cyclone Pam dispersed sediment on the lagoon floor. This discovery connects to earlier findings on the island, such as a woman's shoe matching Earhart's brand and handicrafts made from aircraft materials.
Timeline
A New Zealand survey team photographed the lagoon in 1938.
Thirteen bones were discovered on the island in 1940.
TIGHAR conducted a helicopter flyover of the site in 2001.
Satellite imagery first revealed the underwater object on April 27, 2015.
Michael Ashmore identified the object in satellite data during 2020.
Deeper Dive
The search for the object at Nikumaroro follows the long-standing mystery surrounding the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. This expedition seeks to provide a definitive archaeological conclusion to a historical mystery that has persisted since 1937.
Future expeditions could provide definitive answers through advanced underwater scanning and physical recovery of artifacts. These efforts help refine archaeological techniques for searching remote island lagoons and verifying historical ship or aircraft wrecks.
The takeaway
The search for the Nikumaroro object underscores how modern satellite technology can uncover potential historical clues in previously inaccessible underwater environments. Researchers continue to weigh physical artifacts against geological data to determine the origins of anomalous shapes in the lagoon.
Further reading
For more on the challenges of locating lost historical sites, see Geography.
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