Bermuda Triangle - Theories Behind the World's Unsolved Mystery

The world is a mystery in itself. Several things such as Big Foot, Loch Ness Monster, Kunlun Mountains or the The Gates of Hell in China, have remained unexplained. The mystery of the Bermuda Triangle has especially stirred people's curiosity. What makes the Bermuda Triangle so mysterious? Let's find out.

Location

Located off the South-Eastern coast of the USA and in the Atlantic Ocean is the Bermuda Triangle. To be more specific the three corners of Miami (Florida), San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Bermuda (the north-Atlantic island) form the Bermuda Triangle. The area of the triangle can be anywhere between half million to 1.5 million square miles with each side being around 1000 miles long, states Bermuda-Attractions.com.

History

The first usage of the term 'Bermuda Triangle' dates back to a 1952 article in the magazine Fate. The article described the incidents relating to the triangle. Since then, it has attracted a great deal of attention from people around the world. According to few studies, around 1000 ships and airplanes have disappeared in 500 years, in the Bermuda Triangle.

Mystery

Also known as the 'Devil's Triangle,' the Bermuda Triangle is famous for the mysterious disappearance of aircrafts and ships. The disappearance of USS Cyclops in March 1918 and the Flight 19 aircraft in December 1945 flourished the mystery of the Triangle. US Navy sent two PBM Martin Mariner planes to search the Flight 19 aircraft, but strangely only one of the Martin Mariners came back and the other did not. No physical traces of the lost ship and the aircraft were found.

Other incidents of dissapearance include Tudor Star Tiger and Flight DC-3 in 1948, Flight 441 in 1954, FC-54 Skymaster in 1947, Mary Celeste aka The Ghost Ship in 1872, Marine Sulphur Queen in 1963 and USS Scorpion in 1968.

According to travel.ninemsn.com, a multi-masted American cargo ship - the Ellen Austin - was sailing from New York City to London in 1881. North of the Sargasso Sea, the Ellen Austin met a deserted schooner adrift. The captain ordered a skeleton crew from his ship to board and sail it to London alongside his own charge. But a squall arose and separated the two ships. According to one version of the story, the schooner reappeared - only with no one aboard. Then, it vanished again ... this time, forever.

Top theories for the disappearances

Magnetic whirlpool

Fortean researcher Ivan Sanderson said 'vile vortices' were responsible for the mysterious disappearances of the ships and aircrafts in the Bermuda Triangle. He described the region as "tremendous hot and cold currents crossing the most active zones might create the electromagnetic gymnastics affecting instruments and vehicles." He also listed out 10 such locations with the disturbance - five above and five below the equator.

Weather patterns

Sciencediscovery.com states the collision of cold air masses over the ocean accounts for the tropical skies over the Bermuda Triangle and is prone to intense storms. Also, the swift-moving Gulf Stream which passes right through the triangle creates havoc for ships and planes.

Methane Gas

Some theories also suggest that methane gas trapped under the sea floor can erupt resulting in lower water density. This may cause ships to sink. Also, planes flying over it can catch fire and get destroyed without a trace, stated Bermuda-attractions.com.

Electronic Fog

If a Floridian pilot, Bruce Gernon, is to be believed the mysterious disappearances may be because of an 'electronic fog.' In 1970, Gernon and his father flew over the Bahamas. On route to Bimini, the duo faced strange cloud phenomena: a tunnel-shaped vortex, the sides of which the plane's wings scraped as they flew, said paranormal.about.com. Gernon said an electronic fog with white haze surrounded the plane and his compass spun wildly. He found himself miles away from where he expected to be. He had covered miles in a period of small time. He believed that he passed through a time travel tunnel.

Though the theories claim to have solved the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, the fact remains that no person will ever be disinterested to know more about this mysterious triangle.