TIGHAR
Amelia Earhart Search Forum => General discussion => Topic started by: Andrew M McKenna on June 19, 2017, 06:49:59 PM
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TIGHARs et al.
Well folks, I and several other TIGHARs are off to Nikumaroro this week for another round of exploration and searching. This trip is being conducted in conjunction with Betchart Expeditions which is a little bit different than past expeditions, but the way I see it is that we have to take advantage of any opportunity to get out there that presents itself. In a way, I think that the larger group may provide some benefits in that we increase the number of man hours per day on the island, which helps make up for the short duration of the visit - about 8 days.
The TIGHAR researchers / veterans going this year include myself and
Tom King
Dawn Johnson
John Clauss
Kenton Spading
Joe Cerniglia
Tom and Maria Roberts
Art Rypinski
There are also several folks who were on the Betchart expedition in 2015 that overlapped with Niku VIII that are going back again this year, so we have a pretty good core of experience TIGHARs participating.
Tom King, with Tom Roberts and Art Rypinski assisting, will be leading several shore based projects over the days we'll be at Niku including work at the NW tip, Village, and the 7 Site. Kenton Spading will be leading work projects in Aukairame near the Baureke passage. Joe Cerniglia will be doing some bottle research in the village. John Clauss will be working water based projects including some metal detecting in and around the Tatiman Passage, some light ROV work with an Open ROV unit, and I'll be working with folks who want to dive some targets on the reef that we'd like to explore further. We will also be assisting some divers from Woods Hole to locate, recover, and replace some sensors they placed several years ago.
There are many, many details that have gone into the planning of this expedition that I'm not going to bother you all with, but suffice it to say that we're going to do our best to deploy the best technology available (including some new and different search techniques) to us on the targets we think are the most interesting given the amount of time we have available. There is never enough time, resources, or technology available, but we do the best job that we can in a very tough location.
If we weren't optimistic that we'll discover something that advances the project, we wouldn't go. While we can hope for a fantastic conclusive discovery, usually we don't know what it is that has been discovered until after we get it back to the US and analyze what it is and how it might be related.
I'm going to try to provide Ric with daily updates via Sat Phone to post on the TIGHAR website, or maybe down thread in this topic, so look for those to start later in the week. I and several others are leaving tonight for Fiji as an advance team, and we'll have internet connectivity for the next couple of days until the boat sails and we get out of range.
I'm looking forward to this expedition and the results it will provide. Nikumaroro is truly a magical place, here's hoping it reveals more of its secrets to us this time.
Thanks to all of you for your support.
LTM
Andrew
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Andrew (and Tom and everyone!)
Best of luck!
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It feels more than a bit strange to be sitting this one out, but I have complete faith in Andrew and John to carry out the underwater work that recent research and analysis suggests represents the best chance of finding surviving pieces of the Electra. There is also always the chance that important new evidence will turn up on land.
As Andrew says, Niku is a difficult place. The sweltering, salty environment eats technology and sea conditions can make the simple act of moving people to and from the island harrowing. As leader of eleven TIGHAR trips over the past 28 years, my first priority has always been been to bring everyone home in one piece - and through a combination of careful team selection, discipline, caution, and pure dumb luck - I have managed to do that. I sincerely hope the Betchart trip can maintain that record. I wish them fair winds and following seas.
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Good luck Andrew and all! I wish you good finds and low temperatures! I know many have already looked with no luck, but I still say Look At The Trees! I feel so sure AE would have carved her name/initials in a tree. Great success!
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Thanks Gloria Ric, and Friend,
Whenever we go and look, we always have good luck. It's good luck just to make it out to Nikumaroro. Maybe not as much as we'd like, but good luck nonetheless.
We, the advance team has arrived in Nadi Fiji and are working through our jet lag. Some folks are working last minute errands, visits to Govt and airline offices in advance of the arrival of the rest of the participants, and talking a lot about what we're about to try to accomplish. I hope we can share some really interesting details soon.
Later this afternoon, after it cools off a bit, John Clauss and I will be unpacking and testing the ROV that Walt Holm and Open ROV loaned us for this trip.
https://www.openrov.com/products/trident/ (https://www.openrov.com/products/trident/)
We figured we should try to learn how to drive the thing before we attempt to teach others how to do it. The hotel staff have no idea of what's about to hit their pool.... shhhhhh
I'll try to post a few photos while we're still in range of the internet.
Andrew
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We've been prohibited from talking about this until now.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-island-dogs/
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Make them Tighar members!
Well done!! Hope they get a chance to sniff around the cairn found 2 years ago. Got a feeling. . . .
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Best of luck to all!
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We've been prohibited from talking about this until now.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-island-dogs/
For those who may be highly skeptical that such forensic canines can discover human remains from decades past in a harsh environment such as Nikumaroro presents, it might be interesting to let the border collies Berkeley, Piper, Marcy, and Kayle explore around the area in the Aukaraime region where the Gilbertese infant grave was discovered on the Niku I expedition in 1989 and excavated during the Niku II expedition in 1991.
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All
Bula (hello) from Fiji
Negotiations with Fiji and Kiribati to obtain all the right permits and permissions to brings dogs into these countries went right down to the last minute wire, and Nat Geo didn't want to put out any press until they were sure all the boobies were lined up. Thankfully, it all got straightened out just a few days ago, and the pooches are a go, business class from LAX to Fiji nonetheless.
There are several test projects we're going to put the dogs through before taking them to the 7 site so there should be ample opportunity for them to demonstrate their talents. Should be interesting to say the least.
We've deployed lots of different technologies at Nikumaroro over the years, some of which worked well - KAP photography and pneumatic loppers for example - and some of which were utterly defeated by the Island Goddess Nei Manganibuka such as the ROV in 2015 or the ground penetrating radar unit in 2010. I'm hoping the dogs will prove effective, at least they don't have motherboards to fail. We'll see how the Niku environment treats them.
I think this is going to be a really fascinating aspect of the trip, unfortunately I'll be occupied with water and underwater based activities much of the time. Update on that will come shortly with additional interesting things we're planning.
Andrew
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Here is John Clauss testing the ROV in the hotel pool. They didn't seem to mind...
Did have some very curious bystanders watching. Everyone says "Wow! That is really cool!"
amck
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This is so exciting! Good luck and good sniffing to Berkeley, Piper, Marcy, and Kayle! Looking forward to your posts Andrew!
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I was curious about how the ROV propels itself. This YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaDduAOWmYM) has some good information.
The info on the Trident model starts at 2:55.
If you look at the third photo in Andrew's post (two posts up), you can see that the ROV has three propulsion units (I would call them screws, but that's probably not the correct term). The two on the edge are for forward thrust, and the one in the middle controls "altitude" -- sends the ROV up or down.
Andrew or John, can you post an image of what the controls look like?
For anyone else who's interested in the technical details of the ROV, they are here (https://www.openrov.com/products/trident/#specs). In brief, the ROV is just over 16 x 8 x 3.3 inches, and weighs 3.4 kg. Its operating depth is 100 meters, the tether length is 100 meters (can this be extended?), and the tether itself is kevlar-reinforced and has a breaking strength of 100 kg. Nominal runtime is 3 to 4 hours, and the battery recharges in 1.5 to 3 hours.
The speed is 2 meters per second, about the same as Michael Phelps. That's impressive.
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Andrew or John, can you post an image of what the controls look like?
These photos show the controller in John's hands, and some close ups.
It is an Android tablet with a game controller that attaches around the tablet. The game controller talks to the tablet via Bluetooth, and the tablet talks to the ROV via a wireless router at the dry end of the tether.
When operating the ROV, you see the image on the tablet of what the ROV is seeing out the front camera of the unit.
And yes, it can be very quick. Hard to control at high speed unless you've had a lot of practice, which is something we don't have. Luckily we can dial down the speed settings and operate in slow motion, so to speak.
Andrew
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Now I'm curious about logistics.
The ROV needs to be recharged after about 3 hours. Do you have a way to charge it on the island, or do you have to go back to the ship for that? Seems like getting back and forth from the ship to the island involves a fair amount of effort, so I'm wondering how that will work.
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Great, exciting news, and good luck to all - man, woman and beast!
BTW, I hope that one of the volunteers will take a look on and around the big coral rock sitting in the lagoon just off the Seven site. In 2012 we speculated that it would have made a good, crab-free sleeping place.
Safe journeys.
Jon
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Brian
Logistics for getting ashore is to put up to 40 people in the glass bottom tender, take them over near the landing channel, transfer them in smaller groups to skiffs, and take them up the landing channel to the beach.
It is likely that we'll be deploying the ROV, at least part of the time, from the glass bottomed tender after folks have gone ashore.
The ROV will have to be charged on the ship, or on the glass bottom tender which I believe has electrical power available.
AMCK
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Hi Andrew,
Good stuff with the ROV. Hope all goes well with it and the silt isn't too stirred-up.
Are there any plans to put a skill in the lagoon to transport people and doggies up to the 7 Site so they do not have that long hike up the beach?
Hope for good weather at Niku!!
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Andrew, Tom, Joe...and the rest of the Niku IX expedition team....I just wanted to take this time and wish you guys the best of luck...also that many of us back in the states will be praying for excellent weather, safety for the rest of the team and the dogs, friendships to be established, and many new clues and artifacts to be found. Anyway, its neat to see National Geographic participation in the expedition with the dogs. I think the dogs will give us new insights into possible finds and possibly a final chapter into this saga. With that said..question for you Andrew and Tom....Like most case scenarios when trying to find a body..you have some sort of clothing owned by the person missing that will give a scent to the dogs. As you said these are canine forensic dogs...and how does that work in this situation when they can pickup a scent 9 feet down. I guess what I'm interested in is how these dogs are trained to know that. Also, with this environment on the island and "coral" is this something new to the challenge of the dogs. I noticed in one of the pictures that one of the dogs is wearing custom fit "doggie boots". I take it this is due to the extreme heat to the paws of the dogs. Also, very interested to know what kind of dogs these are and how much training each dog has had, and a picture profile would sure be neat.
Andrew...several days ago I chatted with Leon White about a picture on the Northern tip near the Norwich City site that was shared via Google Earth. This picture was taken at different time intervals during different expeditions. As I looked at the photos...I noticed something that caught my eye, that wasnt seen prior to that particular photo. In the picture taken two years later you see a rectangular shape just right on the reefs edge. It almost appears too that there is a different section just below this. I also did a comparison with Rics fly over video on YouTube Channel that was taken two years later from the Google Earth photo and noticed it wasnt there. That was really baffling. Anyway, lets just say that Amelia did crash land on the island and the plane sit there for a number of days in the water or land....will the plane leave some form of imprint in the reef. Why I say that is several years ago during the Conference in D.C. on of our Tighar couples made a case scenario of what landing the Electra on Niku was like..I guess I'm curious to know that possible "Scarring" may be noticeable after 80 years to rock and coral along the reefs edge? Anyway, excited for you guys...and can't wait till your next post. Good Luck!!
Also..Pat...Is it possible to get "DOGS, DIVES, and DNA" printed on the expedition shirt on the back...and in blue? Think that would be so cool!!!!
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Thanks for these interesting updates Andrew.
I look forward to reading the daily reports (https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Niku9/dailies/niku9dailies.html#n621).
Good luck to the entire team!
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Logistics for getting ashore is to put up to 40 people in the glass bottom tender, take them over near the landing channel, transfer them in smaller groups to skiffs, and take them up the landing channel to the beach.
It will be interesting to see how that works. That plan will allow the ship to stand well off and the passengers can avoid the long, exciting open-ocean skiff rides we so enjoy. The down-side is they'll need to transfer from the tender to the skiff and vice versa in close to the reef. As you know, moving people and gear from the Nai'a dive deck to and from the skiff in heavy seas is about the most dangerous thing we do. See https://youtu.be/j6iD1sqFxfI Everybody in that video may look calm but they're scared shitless.
If there is much of a sea running, moving people and gear between two relatively small boats could be hairy.
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For Bill M
Yes, we're going to have a skiff in the lagoon to transport the dogs to the 7 site. We are also working on a smaller dingy with an electric motor to help out crossing the channel and perhaps get more folks to the 7 site.
For Randy C
Thanks for the kind words and support. If we were tracking somebody, providing a scent would be important so the dogs could discern that person from the rest of us. We're not looking for a particular person (well we are but...) in this case, we're looking for any kind of human remains so giving the dogs a scent to follow isn't necessary, they are trained to alert on any kind of human remains. I'm not a forensic dog expert, but these dogs have essentially had years of training to get where they are. My understanding is that the dogs on this trip are the most experienced of their peers, all Border Collies, and all about 8 years old. There are photos in the Nat Geo article that was released yesterday.
I believe the dogs have been taken to a coral beach for some training in prep for this trip. I don't know if they'll be wearing booties or not, but it would probably be a good idea.
The dogs have arrived by the way, and are currently resting in quarantine at a veterinary clinic near the airport, and will be released tomorrow if not sooner to board the ship.
And most of the other passengers have arrived this am from LAX, so we are all meeting each other and talking all things Nikumaroro.
Personally, I don't think that any scarring on the reef would be visible today. It would be like scratching some concrete and then pounding it with salt water all day long every day for 80 years. Unlikely that much would be visible.
ROV update to come shortly. The spirit of Nei Mangnanibuka has struck early on this trip.....
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Bula from Fiji
OK, so here is the ROV update.
You want the good news, or the bad news?
Bad news. After testing the ROV in the pool for 40 minutes, it stopped working. John and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the problem was, working with the controllers and tablet thinking it was a connectivity problem, but in the end came to the conclusion that there was a problem inside the unit. Frantic calls to OpenROV ensued.
After several consultations, it was concluded that indeed something was seriously wrong with the unit we had. The symptoms were suggesting that water must have gotten inside the vessel making it very unhappy. Not good for electronics.
Dead ROV. Not good for our expedition. Nei Manganibuka strikes again!
Now the good news. OpenROV scrambled into action and they are sending a replacement unit down from LAX this evening with a passenger who is carrying it on as hand luggage, so we'll have it in time before we sail tomorrow afternoon. We're going to send the unit we have back to them for a post mortem.
Keep in mind that what we are talking about here are pre production prototypes of the Trident ROV, so it is not unusual to have some issues. In another month or so, OpenROV will be completing the final touches on their units and looking to start production, but in the mean time we're working with a prototype.
Hats off the the OpenROV folks for making a special effort to get us a replacement unit. We're lucky that they are willing, and that there is one passenger who is still in transit.
Fingers crossed that the unit gets delivered to the flight at LAX tonight.
Exhale.....
Andrew
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For Randy C
Thanks for the kind words and support. If we were tracking somebody, providing a scent would be important so the dogs could discern that person from the rest of us. We're not looking for a particular person (well we are but...) in this case, we're looking for any kind of human remains so giving the dogs a scent to follow isn't necessary, they are trained to alert on any kind of human remains. I'm not a forensic dog expert, but these dogs have essentially had years of training to get where they are. My understanding is that the dogs on this trip are the most experienced of their peers, all Border Collies, and all about 8 years old. There are photos in the Nat Geo article that was released yesterday.
I believe the dogs have been taken to a coral beach for some training in prep for this trip. I don't know if they'll be wearing booties or not, but it would probably be a good idea.
The dogs have arrived by the way, and are currently resting in quarantine at a veterinary clinic near the airport, and will be released tomorrow if not sooner to board the ship.
Did a little tip searching for dog safety in conditions such as Niku,...and a couple of tips on this list; http://blog.gopetfriendly.com/keeping-your-dog-safe-at-the-beach/ are new to me. In particular the use of sunscreen on the dog's nose was interesting,....but wonder if it's use would reduce or hinder the dog's ability to pick up scent. The tip against salt water lapping, even avoiding quick little tastes, is a good one.
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This trip sounds incredibly interesting! I wish I could join you; but I'd be as sick as a dog on the boat and no use to anyone.
But best wishes to all and my fingers are crossed for many interesting finds!
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I'd be as sick as a dog on the boat
Ouch! I hope the dogs don't get seasick.
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OK, bad phrasing choice! I really hope the best for all parties involved, and I am very interested in how the dogs perform.
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I hope this finds your eye surgery successful.
Thanks Leon. Not eye surgery. Just a simple laser procedure. I'm fine.
I'm not a diver and I can only sniff out human remains if they're recently deceased, so for this trip I'm more useful here.
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This morning the replacement ROV arrived with the last passenger joining the expedition, whew!
We have some lectures this morning, and will be boarding the Reef Endeavor later this afternoon. I think we depart Fiji after dinner. I'll try to keep posting as long as I have internet capability, but after that it will be dispatched via Sat Phone to Ric who will post on the daily updates, and perhaps here on this thread.
Cheers
Andrew
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Thanks so much for the news, Andrew! So glad the new ROV arrived. Will look forward to the daily updates. Holding you and the dogs in the light!!
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No update from Andrew today. The ship was scheduled to sail yesterday evening. Probably no connection. I'm standing by for a sat phone call or text.
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Is their any info on the ROV they're bringing? Depth, camera types, size?
Andrew's post (https://tighar.org/smf/index.php/topic,1944.msg41589.html#msg41589) has a link in it.
Brian Tannehil (https://tighar.org/smf/index.php/topic,1944.msg41597.html#msg41597) posted a link to a video about the ROV.
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Just to make sure everybody knows, we're doing daily updates at https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Niku9/dailies/niku9dailies.html
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For Andrew:
"Release bewildered shark". Classic!!! ;D ;D
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Leon,
I'm not following you. Which part of the island is this? I'm looking at Google Earth but I'm not finding it. (I am presuming that you do mean Google Earth and not Google Maps but correct me if I'm wrong.)
Are you referring to the brown "pimple" in the middle of the light-colored patch? Or something else?
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Leon,
This one isn't jumping out at me, but I see all sorts of things when I look at the clouds. I thought you might have seen a shark with a big smile on its face from Andrew rubbing its tummy.
(See here (https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Niku9/dailies/niku9dailies.html#n625) if you don't get the reference.)
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Nice piece in today's NYT
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/27/world/amelia-earhart-search-dogs.html
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So far there's been coverage in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Time, but I haven't seen anything about the current expedition that goes beyond the National Geographic story (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-island-dogs/) that Ric linked to a few days ago. (You can track the coverage (https://news.google.com/news/search/section/q/amelia%20earhart/amelia%20earhart?hl=en&ned=us) on Google News.)
What do we know about how the search with the dogs will be done? What locations will be searched, and in what order? With four dogs, how many dog handlers are along? Are the dog handlers specially trained to work with these dogs, or do the dogs just cover the area and, uh, follow their noses? (Sorry.)
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Ric,
Suggest to Andrew to take the dogs over to the site where the child remains were found some years ago and report the results.
Ted Campbell
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Ric,
Should have added, the dogs may need calibration for search on Niku.
Ted
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Sorry guys, should have added, that below the dogs feet everything is dead stuff - coral, sea creatures, shore awash etc. They may not be familiar with such an environment.
Ted
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I'll explain what I know about how the dogs work in today's expedition update (https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Niku9/dailies/niku9dailies2.html).
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Threads for discussion;
1. If it appears that Mr. Noonan may indeed be resting beneath the Cairn stones, has TIGHAR been granted permission by the Kiribati Govt. to excavate? Or will they have to rely on XRAY, SONAR, etc. to determine the likelihood of human remains?
2. If bones are found, as a DNA match is problematic, I would imagine it isn’t so much a matter of what the bones are, so much as “What the Bones Are Wearing”, i.e. – metal fragments, belt buckles, or ideally, an engraved watch with the inscription “ Best of luck Fred Noonan on your around the world flight with Amelia Earhart” ? ( BTW – To Tom King – If indeed you do find Fred this go around, feel free to use the phrase “What the Bones were Wearing” as the title for your next book.
3. Finally, does the ROV have a tracking and/or mapping mechanism to assist with the systematic search of the ocean floor, or is it more a ‘point, click and hope’?
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Good questions.
1. If it appears that Mr. Noonan may indeed be resting beneath the Cairn stones, has TIGHAR been granted permission by the Kiribati Govt. to excavate? Or will they have to rely on XRAY, SONAR, etc. to determine the likelihood of human remains?
They don't need permission to move the coral hunks unless there is reason to think it's a grave. They do not have an Xray machine and sonar is an underwater technology. If they can re-locate the "cairn" they'll check it with the dogs.
2. If bones are found, as a DNA match is problematic, I would imagine it isn’t so much a matter of what the bones are, so much as “What the Bones Are Wearing”, i.e. – metal fragments, belt buckles, or ideally, an engraved watch with the inscription “ Best of luck Fred Noonan on your around the world flight with Amelia Earhart” ? ( BTW – To Tom King – If indeed you do find Fred this go around, feel free to use the phrase “What the Bones were Wearing” as the title for your next book.
Tom King does not read the Forum. Noonan's skull wouldd be identifiable from some distinctive dental work.
3. Finally, does the ROV have a tracking and/or mapping mechanism to assist with the systematic search of the ocean floor, or is it more a ‘point, click and hope’?
I don't know. ROVs we have used in the past did have tracking systems but this one is a small OPEN ROV and I haven't been involved with it.
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Noonan also had a protrusion on his forehead over the right eye.
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In relation to the "Cairn" Stones Ric...as I was glancing at the picture, it makes you think about the overall theology or thought pattern of Amelia, if indeed she had to bury Noonan. What her physical status was like...strong or weak...could she have dug a grave or not. I myself believe that this may be the case...lay rocks around your body, and on top...but at the same time have a viking ritual per say where the grave rocks are heaved with some sort of fuel and set on fire. I myself would see her doing this. She may have been a pilot, but her overall structure was petite and very frail and in the situation she would have been in I dont see her exerting herself of all that energy to bury someone. I would check the composite structure of the rocks to see if there is the remote possibility of any soot formation on these. Anyway, this looks like a possible finding myself!
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National Geographic update on the forensic puppies: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-search-island-dogs/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20170630news-earhartisland&utm_campaign=Content&sf94322304=1 (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-search-island-dogs/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20170630news-earhartisland&utm_campaign=Content&sf94322304=1)
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National Geographic update on the forensic puppies: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-search-island-dogs/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20170630news-earhartisland&utm_campaign=Content&sf94322304=1 (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-search-island-dogs/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20170630news-earhartisland&utm_campaign=Content&sf94322304=1)
The article says:
"Two colonial doctors examined the bones. One thought they came from an elderly Polynesian; the other postulated that they belonged to a European male. TIGHAR researchers evaluated the measurements using modern techniques and determined the bones could be from a woman of Earhart’s size and build."
That doesn't ring a bell.
I think Hoodless is the only examining doctor whose remarks appear in the Bones file (https://tighar.org/wiki/Bones_found_on_Nikumaroro). His conclusion was: " I am not prepared to give an opinion on the race or nationality of this skeleton, except to state that it is probably not that of a pure South Sea Islander--Micronesian or Polynesian. It could be that of a short, stocky, muscular European, or even a half-caste, or person of mixed European descent."
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National Geographic update on the forensic puppies: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-search-island-dogs/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20170630news-earhartisland&utm_campaign=Content&sf94322304=1 (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/amelia-earhart-search-island-dogs/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20170630news-earhartisland&utm_campaign=Content&sf94322304=1)
The article says:
"Two colonial doctors examined the bones. One thought they came from an elderly Polynesian; the other postulated that they belonged to a European male. TIGHAR researchers evaluated the measurements using modern techniques and determined the bones could be from a woman of Earhart’s size and build."
That doesn't ring a bell.
I think Hoodless is the only examining doctor whose remarks appear in the Bones file (https://tighar.org/wiki/Bones_found_on_Nikumaroro). His conclusion was: " I am not prepared to give an opinion on the race or nationality of this skeleton, except to state that it is probably not that of a pure South Sea Islander--Micronesian or Polynesian. It could be that of a short, stocky, muscular European, or even a half-caste, or person of mixed European descent."
The other examiner was Isaac (https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Bones_Chronology3.html)
"Confidential
For your information remains taken from "Nimanoa" part skeleton elderly male of Polynesian race and that indications are that bones have been in sheltered position for upwards of 20 years and possibly much longer.
Isaac"
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The other examiner was Isaac (https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Bones_Chronology3.html)
"Confidential
For your information remains taken from "Nimanoa" part skeleton elderly male of Polynesian race and that indications are that bones have been in sheltered position for upwards of 20 years and possibly much longer.
Isaac"
Ah.
Thanks.
Dr. Walter Lindsay Isaac Verrier (https://tighar.org/wiki/Walter_Lindsay_Isaac_Verrier,_MD) was a volunteer.
Not selected by the WPHC to make a judgment about the bones.
He seems to have been after the box.
He delayed trans-shipment from Gardner to Fiji.
He was one of the suspects whom Roger and I investigated on the Bones II expedition. (https://tighar.org/wiki/2003_Bones_Search_II)
How could I forget him! ::)
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In relation to the "Cairn" Stones Ric...as I was glancing at the picture, it makes you think about the overall theology or thought pattern of Amelia, if indeed she had to bury Noonan. What her physical status was like...strong or weak...could she have dug a grave or not. I myself believe that this may be the case...lay rocks around your body, and on top...but at the same time have a viking ritual per say where the grave rocks are heaved with some sort of fuel and set on fire. I myself would see her doing this. She may have been a pilot, but her overall structure was petite and very frail and in the situation she would have been in I dont see her exerting herself of all that energy to bury someone. I would check the composite structure of the rocks to see if there is the remote possibility of any soot formation on these. Anyway, this looks like a possible finding myself!
While this may have been said before a cairn burial for Noonan might explain why AE moved to the 7 site. I have always thought she should have stayed near the main landmark the Norwich City, there may even have been still material worth scavenging off it then but she apparently moved to the other end of the island, a friend decaying under a pile rocks nearby would certainly encourage a relocation.
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Okay expedition team...you're going to help me out on this one...now beings I've never been to the island and the recent findings of eight graves. How hard would it be to dig a grave on Niku? Is there alot of coral and rocks involved...or is it just simply island dirt? Or is the makeup of soil different at certain points on the island. Getting back to what I said in earlier post...I dont see Amelia doing this...First of all, you would have to have a good shovel or tool to dig with. Second, question would be if I didnt have a tool I would have to make one or use what nature has to offer...a rock, a shell, whatever. if this be the case...how far is the cairn site from the Norwich City or potential site where Amelia landed the Electra?
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Randy,
Re:
how far is the cairn site from the Norwich City or potential site where Amelia landed the Electra?
See Map and photos from the Thursday June 29th entry, specifically "Grave Concerns".
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From the daily updates it appears that it is sometimes difficult or impossible to relocate previously discovered features on Niku. Do TIGHAR teams consistently use GPS or other methods to accurately record the locations of discoveries? Given that the "cairn" site discovery was from a recent expedition and is now lost (at least as of July 1), should TIGHAR and Betchart be more emphatic about locations being recorded by volunteers?
Additionally, is there a GPS-based database/digital map of Niku that accurately locates past discoveries and features of interest?
Jon
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From the daily updates it appears that it is sometimes difficult or impossible to relocate previously discovered features on Niku. Do TIGHAR teams consistently use GPS or other methods to accurately record the locations of discoveries?
If you follow this link (http://bfy.tw/Cd1g), you will see that TIGHAR has used GPS for years.
Given that the "cairn" site discovery was from a recent expedition and is now lost (at least as of July 1), should TIGHAR and Betchart be more emphatic about locations being recorded by volunteers?
What kind of equipment can you mandate that the volunteers bring with them?
You have to go pretty far up the scale to get 3-meter resolution, I believe. Ordinary civilian equipment is 10 times less accurate. And there are atmospheric effects on accuracy. (https://www.google.com/search?q=gps+atmospheric+effects&oq=gps+atmospheric+&aqs=chrome.2.0j69i57j0l4.6753j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
Niku III used a GPS base station to improve accuracy. (https://tighar.org/wiki/Niku_III_(1997)) But it had to be moved to avoid being washed away by a storm (https://tighar.org/Publications/TTracks/13_1/highwater.html) and was not re-installed.
Additionally, is there a GPS-based database/digital map of Niku that accurately locates past discoveries and features of interest?
There are various and sundry GIS maps that Jim Thompson has worked on over the years. (https://www.google.com/search?q=GIS&sitesearch=tighar.org)
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Andrew and Joe..after reviewing the chain of events yesterday I went to the National Geographic link to see what the dogs had been up too. As I was looking I saw the new jpeg of the freckle ointment jar that was displayed and noticed markings on top of the outer edge of the jar. At first I got a magnifying glass to look further I noticed that indeed there were markings. After sometime of zooming in and out on the image, I finally decided to flip the image and low and behold I found a word "Throne". There are two other words to the left, but cannot make them out at this time. Anyway, wanted to bring this to your attention and hope that it can be made useful in future searches.
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From the daily updates it appears that it is sometimes difficult or impossible to relocate previously discovered features on Niku. Do TIGHAR teams consistently use GPS or other methods to accurately record the locations of discoveries? Given that the "cairn" site discovery was from a recent expedition and is now lost (at least as of July 1), should TIGHAR and Betchart be more emphatic about locations being recorded by volunteers?
The “cairn” was spotted during the 2015 Betchart trip. He didn’t take a GPS reading at the time, thinking it would be easy to find it again. Now, two years later, he can’t find it.
The baby grave was found in 1989, excavated in 1991, and the surrounding area was thoroughly inspected in 1997 - all before we had GPS capability. One of the guys who was on the 1997 team wants to take another look. He assumed he could find it from memory after 20 years.
Additionally, is there a GPS-based database/digital map of Niku that accurately locates past discoveries and features of interest?
We're Mac-based and most GIS programs are Windows-only. I have a really good GIS of the Seven Site with all of the hits and features plotted but it's in Adobe Illustrator so there's no good way to share it.
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First post so be gentle with me, long time lurker with fingers crossed for 'something' / 'anything' substantial to turn up in the remaining days of Niku IX. I was also surprised to hear that more use is not being made of GPS for position marking seeing as GPS units are so commonplace and relatively cheap to buy these days.
I understand the reasoning better for the 'losing' of previously found features (the Cairn etc) explained in Ric's last post (quote below) but in a place like I understand Niku to be, with its dense undergrowth having fast recovery from hacking back, GPS must surely be essential equipment from this expedition forward??
RIc Gillespie - The “cairn” was spotted during the 2015 Betchart trip. He didn’t take a GPS reading at the time, thinking it would be easy to find it again. Now, two years later, he can’t find it.
Also:
Ric - We're Mac-based and most GIS programs are Windows-only. I have a really good GIS of the Seven Site with all of the hits and features plotted but it's in Adobe Illustrator so there's no good way to share it.
I sympathize with Mac users and their reasons for going that route but there just aren't the programs available for the Mac that a professional organisation like TIGHAR probably needs. A solution might be to keep the Mac for personal use, bite the bullet and use a windows setup for business, the cost of which could be written off over time as a business expense.
OK, getting off the pot now.... I haven't written Niku IX off just yet, I'm sure those involved are doing their very best but Niku X with a 'real TIGHAR team' has piqued my interest already!
Dave W
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GPS must surely be essential equipment from this expedition forward??
We use GPS where appropriate. You can watch me use GPS to find the Bevington Object location in 2010 at https://youtu.be/APhSvwipBmE
It's fine for identifying general locations out in the open, but deep in the coconut jungle or buka forest it's often hard to get a good signal. In 2015 we were there during a severe "solar storm" that rendered GPS unreliable for several days.
I sympathize with Mac users and their reasons for going that route but there just aren't the programs available for the Mac that a professional organisation like TIGHAR probably needs. A solution might be to keep the Mac for personal use, bite the bullet and use a windows setup for business, the cost of which could be written off over time as a business expense.
I sympathize with Windows users. We've never met a need we can't serve better with a Mac.
TIGHAR is a nonprofit. Nonprofit businesses are tax exempt. We don't have to write off business expenses.
OK, getting off the pot now.... I haven't written Niku IX off just yet, I'm sure those involved are doing their very best but Niku X with a 'real TIGHAR team' has piqued my interest already!
Dave W
We'll see.
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So...On occasions where GPS may be dodgy, or unusable for whatever reason, what is the best method of cataloging locations for further inspection? Do the expeditions carry some sort of beacons or markers, or is it more a matter of mathematical triangulation - using ( hopefully ) something other than trees - say the Norwich City etc.
Growth being what it is, I would imagine it would be a brutal prospect to re-locate items of interest.
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Are there any more 'daily' reports coming?
Yeah, I've just been buried with this photo nonsense. At last report they hadn't found any bones.
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Are there any more 'daily' reports coming?
Yeah, I've just been buried with this photo nonsense. At last report they hadn't found any bones.
and that's just what it is too. a distraction for you no doubt. nothing in that photo distinguishes whether that picture was taken in 1904 or 1944, nevermind if that short haired kid crouching down was actually AE.
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Ric,
Is it possible to get one or more of the dogs to "hit" on the finger/turtle bone we have?
Ted Campbell
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Is it possible to get one or more of the dogs to "hit" on the finger/turtle bone we have?
Only a tiny fragment is left of the finger bone after several attempts to extract DNA. The fragment is at the Molecular Anthropology Lab at the University of Oklahoma. Not something we can have the dogs sniff.
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It is an issue for Rick and for anyone else who has friends or family that ask about this 'exercise' by the history channel. They've got to change that name!
I try to answer any email coming my way, but it isn't worth the effort. I'm glad you're keeping your cool thru this. I'm already sick of it. If you need any help burying this 'theory' please ask. I imagine there's only 5- 10 thousand people willing to help.
L
Is it obvious that the History Channel times its shows to coincide with Tighars expeditions? I have several relatives and friends that aren't as involved as we are that are confused about the two events. I try to explain but I am wondering about the thousands of other folks that don't have a relative in Tighar.
Jim
#1938
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Where are the Daily Updates for Niku IX?
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Where are the Daily Updates for Niku IX?
https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Niku9/dailies/niku9dailies.html
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Where are the Daily Updates for Niku IX?
There's currently no link to the Dailies on the homepage but the work at the island has been over since last Thursday. The ship will make port in Fiji today.
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Where are the Daily Updates for Niku IX?
There's currently no link to the Dailies on the homepage but the work at the island has been over since last Thursday. The ship will make port in Fiji today.
Thank you for the update Ric. Have been curious about the return trip and will be happy to receive the "all are safe and well" update.
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The M/V Reef Explorer arrived safely back in Fiji, and everyone on my flight from Fiji to LA also arrived back in the US safely. Various people traveled by other routes.
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The M/V Reef Explorer arrived safely back in Fiji,
Welcome home Arthur. I was under the impression that the ship was M/V Reef Endeavor. Jet lag is a bitch.
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correct on both accounts. I woke up up at dawn, closed my eyes, and next I knew it was 11 am.