Airplanes and Microbes: Microbially-Influenced Corrosion of WWII Aluminum Aircraft Wrecks in the Pacific

Airplanes and Microbes: Microbially-Influenced Corrosion of WWII Aluminum Aircraft Wrecks in the Pacific

Aircraft were a major component of the U.S. war effort in the Pacific Theatre of WWII, and today numerous examples can be found throughout the waters of the Asia-Pacific region. Due to their cultural and historical significance to modern stakeholders, understanding the decay trajectories has become an important issue in the realm of archaeology and cultural heritage management. While the majority of corrosion studies have focused on electrochemical exchanges at the seawater-metal interface, far less attention has been paid to the effects of colonizing microorganisms (e.g. sulfate-reducing bacteria) that can contribute to increased rates of corrosion. Some studies of the microbiome of historic steel wrecks have been investigated in recent years, revealing a diverse mix of aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Yet, little has been done to understand the morphology and structure of the microbial community on aluminum aircraft in relation to corrosion processes. This paper summarizes the issues and previous efforts made in regards to microbially-influenced corrosion (MIC) of historical wrecks, while also outlining a proposed study that aims to investigate MIC of WWII aluminum aircraft in Saipan and Hawaii. It is the hope of the research team that the results will be used to better understand the decay trajectories of the aircraft and inform resource managers in their preservation practices. Field work and laboratory analysis are scheduled to take place in the spring and summer of 2020, with financial support being provided by a National Center for Preservation Technology and Training grant from the National Park Service. The project represents a collaboration between archaeologists and microbiologists in a concerted effort to confront historical preservation issues with an interdisciplinary approach. Finally, this paper concludes with a discussion on the importance of a public archaeology focus and how this project will include the local community throughout our time in the field.

Dominic Bush

Jennifer McKinnon

Erin Field

Nathan Richards

Kyra Price

The Museum of Underwater Archaeology

November 2021

English

Bush, Dominic, Jennifer McKinnon, Erin Field, Nathan Richards, and Kyra Price. 2021. “Airplanes and Microbes:
Microbially-Influenced Corrosion of WWII Aluminum Aircraft Wrecks in the Pacific.” Edited by Brian Fahy, Hans Van
Tilburg, Bill Jeffery, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Riley Smith. In Proceedings of Fourth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on
Underwater Cultural Heritage: Keelung,Taiwan, and Virtual, November 1-5, 2021. The Museum of Underwater
Archaeology URL: https://apconf-much.org/proceedings/exhibits/show/apconf-muchproceedings/item/682

Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage