Interesting Bermuda triangle theory

[Neo]

Last night on Leno there was a scientist who demonstrated a theory which he said could be responsible for at least some of the airplane and boat disappearances in the Bermuda triangle. He claimed that there were extremely large deposits of methane beneath the sea floor. When these pockets are released they create bubbles which aren't dense enough for the boat to maintain it's buoyancy so it sinks. For airplanes, it's a simple matter of engine exhaust igniting a cloud of methane which consumes the craft in a fireball.


The Navy's take on the BT:

Prepared by the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters and the Naval Historical Center

The U. S. Board of Geographic Names does not recognize the Bermuda Triangle as an official name and does not maintain an official file on the area.

The "Bermuda or Devil's Triangle" is an imaginary area located off the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States, which is noted for a high incidence of unexplained losses of ships, small boats, and aircraft. The apexes of the triangle are generally accepted to be Bermuda, Miami, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In the past, extensive, but futile Coast Guard searches prompted by search and rescue cases such as the disappearances of an entire squadron of TBM Avengers shortly after take off from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., or the traceless sinking of USS Cyclops and Marine Sulphur Queen have lent credence to the popular belief in the mystery and the supernatural qualities of the "Bermuda Triangle."

Countless theories attempting to explain the many disappearances have been offered throughout the history of the area. The most practical seem to be environmental and those citing human error. The majority of disappearances can be attributed to the area's unique environmental features. First, the "Devil's Triangle" is one of the two places on earth that a magnetic compass does point towards true north. Normally it points toward magnetic north. The difference between the two is known as compass variation. The amount of variation changes by as much as 20 degrees as one circumnavigates the earth. If this compass variation or error is not compensated for, a navigator could find himself far off course and in deep trouble.

An area called the "Devil's Sea" by Japanese and Filipino seamen, located off the east coast of Japan, also exhibits the same magnetic characteristics. It is also known for its mysterious disappearances.

Another environmental factor is the character of the Gulf Stream. It is extremely swift and turbulent and can quickly erase any evidence of a disaster. The unpredictable Caribbean-Atlantic weather pattern also plays its role. Sudden local thunder storms and water spouts often spell disaster for pilots and mariners. Finally, the topography of the ocean floor varies from extensive shoals around the islands to some of the deepest marine trenches in the world. With the interaction of the strong currents over the many reefs the topography is in a state of constant flux and development of new navigational hazards is swift.

Not to be under estimated is the human error factor. A large number of pleasure boats travel the waters between Florida's Gold Coast and the Bahamas. All too often, crossings are attempted with too small a boat, insufficient knowledge of the area's hazards, and a lack of good seamanship.

The Coast Guard is not impressed with supernatural explanations of disasters at sea. It has been their experience that the combined forces of nature and unpredictability of mankind outdo even the most far fetched science fiction many times each year.

We know of no maps that delineate the boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle. However, there are general area maps available through the Distribution Control Department, U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, Washington, D.C. 20390. Of particular interest to students if mysterious happenings may be the "Aeromagnetic Charts of the U.S. Coastal Region," H.O. Series 17507, 15 sheets. Numbers 9 through 15 cover the "Bermuda Triangle."

Interest in the "Bermuda Triangle" can be traced to (1) the cover article in the August 1968 Argosy, "The Spreading Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle", (2) the answer to a letter to the editor of the January 1969 Playboy, and (3) an article in August 4, 1968 I, "Limbo of Lost Ships", by Leslie Lieber. Also, many newspapers carried a December 22, 1967 National Geographic Society news release which was derived largely from Vincent Gaddis' Invisible Horizons: True Mysteries of the Sea (Chilton Books, Philadelphia, 1965. OCLC# 681276) Chapter 13, "The Triangle of Death", in Mr. Gaddis' book, presents the most comprehensive account of the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. Gaddis describes nine of the more intriguing mysteries and provides copious notes and references. Much of the chapter is reprinted from an article by Mr. Gaddis, "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle", in the February 1964 Argosy. The article elicited a large and enthusiastic response from the magazine's readers. Perhaps the most interesting letter, which appeared in the May 1964 Argosy's "Back Talk" section, recounts a mysterious and frightening incident in an aircraft flying over the area in 1944.

[Neo]

A much more outlandish theory:

Long before John Hutchison began his pioneering experiments into electromagnetism and alternative energy, travelers in the Bermuda Triangle had reported odd occurrences involving electromagnetism: their ships or planes would be seized by a strange vapor, then all equipment would go haywire; unexplained fogs would sit over the ocean, yet in all cases the weather was not right for creating fogs, and there was certainly no reason for electromagnetic aberrations such as they reported.
These were, in due course, put down in the category of "sea lore," sensationalism, or attributed to occultists trying to push their supernatural views of nature. It didn't seem to matter that most of those reporting them were veteran pilots, shipmasters, and even Coast Guard officers.
These unusual phenomena quickly formed the backbone of the "mythos" of the Bermuda Triangle, the enigma of unexplained "forces," hints of the laws of nature running wild, of possible time warps, interdimensional transition, wormholes, and invisibility. To speak about them is to speak about the "supernatural," the impossible, and the occult . . .until now.

from http://www.bermuda-triangle.org/Theo..._machine_.html

[Ravishing Rick Rude]

* Has never been there*

* Never wants to go*

i believe i will be safe

[Jason1]

Yea, I saw that last night on Leno too. I totally believe it. It makes perfect sense to me...well....Im not so sure about the whole bubbles thing with the boats, it could be true, but the Airplane theroy is totally believeable.

[Joeiss]

Yeah, the methane theory is very believable. I just don't understand why people still go through the "Bermuda Triangle" if everything always goes wrong. I mean, it's common sence. If disaster strikes most of the people who go through that area, then DON'T GO THROUGH THAT AREA!!!

[Neo]

It's not any where near most of the people who travel that area. It's a very small percentage, and there's debate whether or not that percentage is indeed higher than in other parts of the ocean.

[TheGrimReaper]

I try not to think about it

[surfin4lifer]

I've been through there like 8 times on a cruise ship and nothing has happend, it still scares the **** out of me.