The Bermuda Triangle mystery. What is really happening?
Unexplained disappearances, thousands of deaths, and still unrecovered ships and airplanes have all taken place in a small region in the Atlantic. The legend of the Bermuda Triangle was sparked nearly eight decades ago, on December 5, 1945. The incident that fueled a myriad of theories concerning mysterious disappearances in this region was the infamous Flight 19. So, what does contemporary science have to say about this enigmatic part of Earth?
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region situated in the Atlantic Ocean. Its boundaries are formed by three points: Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. The initial reports of mysterious phenomena and inexplicable disappearances of ships and planes in this area trace back to the mid-20th century.
The Enigma of Flight 19
Theories about the Bermuda Triangle originated with an incident that occurred on December 5, 1945. That day, five American Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers disappeared without any trace. Fourteen airmen departed from a military base in Florida on that day for a training flight, given the number designation of 19.
Two hours later, squadron leader Charles C. Taylor reported that the onboard compasses in his airplane – both primary and spare – had ceased to function. A search operation began shortly after the aircraft disappeared. A PBM-5 patrol flying boat, a type of Marin PBM Mariner, participated in the operation. Its 13-member crew shared the fate of the pilots from Flight 19. The aircraft vanished without any trace, forever cementing the legends of paranormal events occurring within the Bermuda Triangle.
Potential Causes for the Mysterious Disappearance
One theory suggests that there is a "portal" in the Atlantic Ocean capable of transporting creatures to another dimension. While these speculations sound like they've been lifted from a science fiction movie script, they lack any grounding in reality.
The true nature of the Bermuda Triangle was perhaps revealed shortly after the Flight 19 disaster. A 500-page investigative report indicates that the cause of the disappearance was human error. The document suggests that Lieutenant Taylor, the Squadron Commander, lost his bearings in space and didn't respond correctly to information provided by other pilots whose navigation instruments were functioning correctly. Thus Taylor unknowingly flew the planes too far over the ocean, from where a safe return was already impossible.
However, the report was subsequently revised by the USA. The updated version proposed that the cause of the disappearance was "unknown". This amendment was made so as to not place the blame on the commander of Flight 19 for the loss of all five planes and the death of 14 people.
A Wealth of Scientific Explanations
The first logical explanation for the "mysterious" disappearances in the Atlantic is underwater methane eruptions. These primarily affect lightweight ships but can also impact overflying airplanes.
The North Atlantic region is known for its underwater methane deposits, which can result in the eruptions above and release gas bubbles. As these particles rise to the water's surface, they can saturate the area, causing a passing ship to lose buoyancy and sink.
Methane can also change the air density, presenting a risk to airplanes. Although this is a localized occurrence, the release of methane from large depths can cause turbulence. It is plausible that the methane-induced turbulence was strong enough to destabilize an overflying plane.
The next explanation for these mysterious disappearances had to wait until the 1970s when more satellites began to operate, allowing for high-precision weather modeling and continuous weather monitoring.
The Bermuda Triangle is a region where powerful cyclones are prevalent. We can now track these powerful storms in real-time and predict their occurrence. Observations reveal that airplanes and ships often appeared amid these extreme weather conditions.
The most common cause of air and sea disasters continues to be human errors. The incident that sparked the legend of the Bermuda Triangle serves as a prime example. However, aviation history is filled with similar events where human failure has resulted in tragedy.
A case in point is the Air France flight 447 disaster from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, which occurred on the night of May 31, 2009. According to a French Aviation Safety Agency (BEA) report, the crash was caused by an error stemming from faulty pilot indicators. The crew failed to properly respond to incorrect flight speed sensor readings (Pitot tubes) which led to a severe tilt of the airplane, causing a rapid descent. The Airbus A330 fell into the Atlantic Ocean within two minutes, resulting in the death of all 228 people onboard.
Demystifying the Bermuda Triangle
Modern scientists have offered a variety of explanations for the mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. These theories effectively dismiss any speculations related to paranormal or supernatural phenomena. For the last 40 years, no inexplicable disappearances have been reported in this region. Advancements in observational technologies have contributed majorly to these findings.
Moreover, recent analysis has revealed the Bermuda Triangle to be much less dangerous than was previously believed. The infamous region has become a legend with little connection with actual risk.
This conclusion is supported by a map developed by Allianz, displaying areas with the highest number of ship disappearances from 2007-2017. The map highlights that the majority of such incidents occurred in the South China Sea, while the Bermuda Triangle didn't feature at all.
