A search for the wreckage of Amelia Earhart's plane on a remote Pacific island has resumed after severe weather conditions caused a three-day halt. Researchers are on Nikumaroro Island, part of Kiribati, investigating the 'Taraia Object' in the atoll's lagoon, which aerial imagery suggests could be the remnants of a small aircraft.
Rough seas and strong winds, attributed to strong El Niño conditions, forced the team to remain on their research vessel for three days. The weather cleared on Sunday, allowing the team to land on Nikumaroro and continue their work.
The expedition, spearheaded by Purdue University and the US-based Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI), aims to solve the mystery of the American aviator's disappearance in 1937. The team arrived last week and began an underwater survey, but the weather prevented the start of a second phase involving probing underwater objects and dredging sediment.
The research team has extended the expedition time due to the delay. ALI director Rick Pettigrew stated that results would be shared "as soon as we are able."