Bermuda Triangle Theories

The Bermuda Triangle or ‘The Devils Triangle’ is an area in the North Western Atlantic Ocean infamous with the unexplained disappearances of a number of aircraft and ships. The corners of the triangle lie in Florida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda, making the space vast and completely comprised of ocean. As a result of the alleged disappearances for which the area has become notorious in the last half century, many theories have emerged as to how and why the triangle poses so many unanswered questions. Ranging from the acutely scientific to the other worldly and the supernatural, let’s have a look at some of the most popular explanations.

 Human Error

I’ll get this one out of the way first due to its mundane nature and lack of imagination.  Some theorise that the loss of vessels and aircraft alike in the triangle is simply down to the errors of those controlling them. Nothing supernatural about it at all, simply a huge area which is geographically difficult to navigate and a whole load of spontaneous tropical storms just to make sure you get well and truly lost.

Rogue Waves

A step up from number 10, but still rather boring, the theory that huge, unbridled waves are to blame for the stacks of disappearances reported in the triangle is as popular as any other. It was only in the 1990’s that this freakish category of wave was confirmed to exist, since then they have been known to take down ships and even oil rig platforms. Don’t see how they could account for the disappearance of aircraft though?

Gulf Stream

Essentially a huge river that runs beneath the ocean’s surface, stretching from the gulf of Mexico all the way through the Floridian straits and up into the desolate surroundings of the North Atlantic, the Gulf Stream has been known to have a rather imposing velocity at times. Certainly capable of carrying stranded ships and downed aircraft on its current, I suppose it’s not too far-fetched to suggest they may eventually be enveloped completely by the sea.

Methane Gas Hydrates

Originally put forward by American geochemist Dr Richard McIver, this theory puts forwards the idea that the levels of methane gas emitted through the seabed and up to the surface may come into play. As these deposits escape the ocean floor they compromise the integrity of the landscape, in turn causing underwater landslides which go on to release more gas causing a huge decrease in the density of the water itself. Effectively causing the sea to swallow ships whole, the highly combustible gas is also likely to travel upwards with the ability to ignite a plane’s engines, causing an explosion and bringing it down to share the ships fate.

Souls of Slaves

As the area in which the triangle lies is scattered with former slave colonies, it would be naïve to believe that it is not grave to a captive or two- especially given the disgusting fact that it was common practise to purposefully kill slaves in transit to claim insurance later. What may be labelled as naïve too however, is the theory that the souls of these unfortunate Africans haunt the triangle in search of whatever revenge they can get.

Atlantis

The belief that the ancient mythical island of Atlantis was located where the triangle sits today is one more common than you may expect. The people of Atlantis are said to have mastered many futuristic technologies the likes of which we’d find hard to comprehend even today. It is upon this belief that this theory rests, claiming that the remains of such technologies hidden beneath the ocean’s surface interfere with our navigational systems etc.

UFO’s

The aliens get blamed for just about everything unexplainable these days, the mysterious happenings in the Bermuda Triangle being no exception. Supporters of this theory maintain that the area is frequented by extra-terrestrials seeking to abduct/do their usual kind of stuff in a place likely to spawn much attention. Supernatural explanations remain some of the most pushed forward and popular around, with many works of literature and film adopting this theory in relation to the Triangles mysterious ways.

Electronic Fog

A theory with the rare blessing of having actually been witnessed by a survivor of the Triangles mysterious ways, this explanation was first brought about by Bruce Gernon following a flight he made with his father over the triangle in 1970. The pilot claims to have passed through a deep vortex of fog which sent every navigational device on-board haywire; though headed towards Bimini they emerged from the tunnel closer to Miami- a feat apparently impossible given the timescale involved. From this, further ideas have been devised which claim the triangle may possess some kind of links with time-travel, warps etc. – interesting stuff.

Space-Time Warp

Leading on from my last few sentences, the Space Time Warp theory involves the idea that the Bermuda Triangle is the location of an infrequent rift in space-time and subsequently possesses the power to transport helpless aircraft/vessels to, well that’s the thing, no one quite knows where. It could be a matter of time travel or of location, maybe even dimension. Although it does seem farfetched I feel it to be entirely plausible, there are many things left to be discovered on, in and around our planet.

Magnetic Vortices

Originally proposed by researcher Ivan Sanderson, this theory claims the phenomena to be down to the “tremendous hot and cold currents crossing the most active zones creating the electromagnetic gymnastics affecting instruments and vehicles.” To put it simply, Sanderson is suggesting that the extremely different weather systems which all rendezvous in the Bermuda Triangle are likely to cause atmospheric consequences so great that they affect the operation, effectiveness and overall use of navigational tools used by the crews of ships and aircraft alike.

Source: http://www.smashinglists.com/