A new expedition from Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute is traveling to Nikumaroro Island to search for Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra, which disappeared in 1937. The team will use drones with magnetometers and sonar to inspect a submerged anomaly detected by satellite, possibly a metal fuselage.
Remote sensing and satellite photogrammetry in digital archaeology 🛰️
For a professional in the field, this project demonstrates how remote sensing, remote scanning, and satellite photogrammetry are becoming established as key tools in digital archaeology and 3D documentation. The non-invasive capture and analysis pipeline applied to historical research makes it possible to generate models of the terrain and the possible shipwreck without altering the environment. Drones with magnetometers track metal signatures, and sonar maps the seabed with centimeter resolution.
Amelia's plane again, now with wifi and everything ✈️
Every so often a new expedition appears, ready to find Amelia Earhart's Electra. This time with drones, sonar, and a satellite anomaly that, with luck, won't turn out to be another rock shaped like a plane. If it does turn out to be a 1937 shipwreck, we'll have to admit that remote sensing works. If not, there's always the consolation of having mapped the seabed of Nikumaroro in 3D.