The Bermuda Triangle is a triangular area right off the coast of Miami, Florida. The three corners of the triangle are located in Bermuda Island, the Greater Antilles area of Puerto Rico, and Miami. Experts claim that 50 ships and 20 aircraft have gone missing in the triangle since 1945. Other sources claim that an even higher number of disappearances—nearly 2000 ships and 200 aircraft—have gone missing in this region. The question stands: Why?

There are several hypotheses. One hypothesis is that the triangular area is particularly prone to sudden rogue waves, which can reach as high as 100 feet in the air and engulf large objects like ships. These rogue waves form when small waves move across the Atlantic Ocean in different speeds and directions. When they cross paths, they can reinforce one another and cause these large, rogue waves. 

Another theory is that the presence of geomagnetic fields disrupts the navigation systems of ships and aircraft, making navigators disoriented and veer off course. These mysterious fields may also offer an explanation for the reported phenomenon of navigation control centers receiving limited speech or even complete silence from pilots and sea captains traveling through the triangle. 

Others hypothesize that these unlucky travelers did not account for the difference between the True (Geographical) North direction and the Magnetic (Compass) North direction. The difference between these two varies by location. If the navigator does not properly consider this variation, he or she may veer off course by 500-800 kilometers!

Finally, some theorize that huge methane gas bubbles in the triangle cause these numerous deaths. Scientists have found that methane gas bubbles up from 500 vents along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. This happens when dead organic matter sinks to the ocean floor, and the bacteria that feed off the dead matter produce methane gas. High levels of methane exposure can lead to memory loss and blurred vision, which those traveling through the triangle may have experienced.

In the end, these hypotheses still do not fully explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle—so the myth continues!

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References

[Brightside]. (2020, September 5). Survivor says something new about the Bermuda Triangle [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FuJ5mOV6Vg

Britannica Encyclopedia. (2023). Bermuda Triangle. In Britannica.com encyclopedia. https://www.britannica.com/place/Bermuda-Triangle

Fleiss, A. & Kuan, J. (2022, January). The Bermuda Triangle: Data Science Approach: Anomaly or Sensationalism? SSRN, http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4020456

Gritzer, Y. (2020, December). Specific formation of the Bermuda and Dragon Triangles as a result of a change in the axis of the Earth’s rotation. Journal of Science and Technology, 5(06). 19-25. https://doi.org/10.46243/jst.2020.v5.i6.pp19-25

Khan, S. [Khan Academy]. (2021, August 26). Magnetic declination- Earth’s magnetism|Magnetism & matter|Physics|Khan Academy. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV_sLtXUvXE&t=2s