{"id":10341,"date":"2018-08-09T20:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-08-10T00:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/answers\/?p=10341"},"modified":"2023-04-20T07:20:43","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T11:20:43","slug":"what-is-bermuda-triangle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/answers\/disasters\/what-is-bermuda-triangle\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Bermuda Triangle?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n 5\/5 - (5 votes) <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\"Infographic<\/a><\/p>\n

The infamous Bermuda Triangle or so called \u2018Devil\u2019s Triangle\u2019 is a loosely defined region in the western part of North Atlantic Ocean. It roughly forms a mythical triangle stretching over 400,000 square miles (700,000 square kilometers) between Florida, the Bermuda Islands, and Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n

So, what makes this particular area so mysterious?!\u00a0 It has over time consumed ships and planes, occasionally leaving no trace behind. These occurrences have led to a yearning and curiosity amongst the scientists and the people to dive deeper for the truth.<\/p>\n

The first occurrence can be traced back to 1918, when a 542-foot-long ship named the USS CYCLOPS, went missing.\u00a0 The US NAVY vessel was on its way from Bahia, Salvador, to Baltimore, Maryland, when it disappeared leaving no trace behind, owing to the single largest loss of life to the US navy involving no direct combat.<\/p>\n

This drew attention towards accidents in the region. As early as, 1952 George X. Sands published an article, \u201cSea mystery at our back door\u201d\u00a0 in Fate Magazine. But it was Vincent H. Gaddis who first coined the term \u2018Bermuda Triangle\u2019 in his article for the Argosy Magazine. This was followed by the proposition of various theories and counter theories to explain the mishaps.\u00a0 Larry Kusche, a librarian at Arizona State University, published his book \u201cThe Bermuda Triangle Mystery-Solved.\u201d He claims the whole situation was a manufactured mystery!<\/p>\n

On the other hand, meteorologists have claimed scientific reasonings behind these catastrophes.\u00a0 Here are some of the rationale scientific answers:<\/p>\n

Topography:<\/h3>\n

The continental shelf off the coast of Florida extends only a short distance, after which it swiftly plunges to a deep ocean basin. Beyond the relatively flat ocean basin, lies the Bermuda Rise.\u00a0 The Bermuda Islands, east of North America, are positioned on the rise, which is also a volcanic platform, or a seamount.\u00a0 Home to some of the deepest trenches of the Atlantic Ocean, the Bermuda Triangle\u2019s topography, is considered to play a role in the vanishing of vessels.<\/p>\n

The Gulf Stream:<\/h3>\n

Said to be the \u2018river within an ocean,\u2019 the Gulf stream is a maximum velocity surface current driven by thermohaline circulation. It originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows into the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a swift and turbulent current creating some of the most unforgiving storms in the region.<\/p>\n

Hexagonal Clouds:<\/h3>\n

These \u2018air bombs\u2019 are mischievous straight edged clouds, trapping winds at speeds of 100 mph.\u00a0 These micro blasts can generate vertical monster waves, as high as 45 feet, accompanied by gushing winds, the vertical waves form air pockets which can snap many vessels in half.<\/p>\n

Compass:<\/h3>\n

Did you know? The Bermuda Triangle is one of the only two places on Earth, where the compass points to true North rather to the magnetic North. This means the infamous Bermuda Triangle is a strange magnetic area. While the divergence of the compass can be rectified with technological advances, if it\u2019s not addressed, it can leave the sailors lost in the open seas.<\/p>\n

Rogue Waves:<\/h3>\n

The most recent theories blame the \u2018rogue waves,\u2019 which escalate to a height of 100 ft.\u00a0 Resulting from the union of three massive storms in this zone, these waves are beyond the expectations of the latest designed ships.\u00a0 Formerly pronounced as mythical, due to the lack of evidence, the discovery of these waves, points towards a new actor in the disappearing episodes.<\/p>\n

Methane Gas Hydrates:<\/h3>\n

decaying sea organisms, lead to the concentration of large reserves of untapped methane gas. The sea bed is home to bacteria, which produces methane gas. And accumulation and the concentrated methane leads to the formation of gas hydrates. This process of gas hydrate formation can create large holes in the surface, following an unannounced explosion. These \u2018sinkholes\u2019 are capable of swallowing vessels, by creating different densities within the blowout area.<\/p>\n

While the scientific rebuttals do place new means to the mystery solving, there are additional elementary understandings that cannot be ignored.<\/p>\n

The Bermuda Triangle is one of the most trafficked shipping lanes in the world, directly proportional to the number of accidents reported.<\/p>\n

Many of the ill-fated ships and planes have also been reported to be under-designed for the weather conditions of the triangle.<\/p>\n

The myth busters are further assured by the marine insurer Lloyd\u2019s of London: They have declared the Triangle to be no more dangerous than any other spread of the ocean. The US Coast Guard, affirms their conclusion, evaporating the myths of the \u2018Devil\u2019s Triangle.\u2019<\/p>\n

Know more:<\/strong><\/p>\n