NIKU IX

[Ric Gillespie]

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.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Is their any info on the ROV they're bringing?  Depth, camera types, size?

Andrew's post has a link in it.

Brian Tannehil posted a link to a video about the ROV.

[Ric Gillespie]

Just to make sure everybody knows, we're doing daily updates at https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Niku9/dailies/niku9dailies.html

[Bill Mangus]

For Andrew:

"Release bewildered shark".  Classic!!! ;D ;D

[Brian Tannahill]

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?

[Brian Tannahill]

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 if you don't get the reference.)

[Ric Gillespie]

Nice piece in today's NYT
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/27/world/amelia-earhart-search-dogs.html

[Brian Tannahill]

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 that Ric linked to a few days ago.  (You can track the coverage 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.)

[Ted G Campbell]

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

[Ted G Campbell]

Ric,

Should have added, the dogs may need calibration for search on Niku.

Ted

[Ted G Campbell]

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

[Ric Gillespie]

I'll explain what I know about how the dogs work in today's expedition update.

[Bryan Tolin]

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'?

[Ric Gillespie]

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.

[Ricker H Jones]

Noonan also had a protrusion on his forehead over the right eye.