The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle - Essay Example

Bermuda Triangle - Mystery Unveiled Bermuda Triangle is a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to the islands of Bermuda, to Puerto Rico and then back to Florida through the Bahamas. 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. (byerly.org) It is sometimes also referred to as the Devil’s Triangle because of its association with an unusually large number of strange mysterious accidents in that region. Dozens of ships, planes and people have mysteriously disappeared with seemingly no explanation. However, it was found later that many of the strange accidents were not so strange after all. Well Known Incidents Of Disappearances The mystery of the triangle probably took hold with the first publicized disappearance in 1945 when 5 Navy Avengers disappeared in the area. The myth gained momentum after reporter E.V.W. Jones compiled a list of “mysterious disappearances” of ships and planes between the Florida coast and Bermuda. As more incidents occurred, the reputation grew and past events were reanalyzed and added to the legend. In 1964, "Argosy Magazine" gave the triangle its name in an article titled "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle" by Vincent Gaddis. (Obringer “How the Bermuda Triangle Works”) List of some well known disappearances include: The U.S.S. Cyclops 1918 - The Cyclops was scheduled to sail to Brazil to refuel British ships in the south Atlantic. After setting out from Rio de Janeiro and a brief stop in Barbados the ship and its crew with 306 passengers were never heard of and gone without a trace. U.S Navy Avengers Flight 19, 1945 - 5 Navy Avengers in 1945 disappeared in Bermuda Triangle during a routine patrol. The cause of the disappearance was originally “ pilot error”, but family members of the pilot leading the mission couldn’t accept that he had made such a mistake. Eventually, they convinced the Navy to change it to “causes or reasons unknown.” DC-3 Flight NC – 16002, 1948 - A commercial flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Miami, Florida disappeared over Bermuda Triangle and no debris was found. Other examples include the S.S. Marine Sulphur Queen tanker carrying 15000 tons of molten sulphur for Virginia from Texas, Air Force Reserve Command’s 440th Airlift Wing, Plane 680 in 1965 and several others. (Obringer “How the Bermuda Triangle Works”) Myths on Bermuda Triangle UFOs, mystical rays from the sun to the lost Continent of Atlantis, giant sea monsters and supernatural beings are linked to the mysterious disappearances in the triangle. Other theories include the theory of Electronic Fog, Compass Variation theory. As per the electronic fog theory, there is sudden appearance of dense fog. Ships and aircraft get engulfed in some kind of electronic fog and the fog keeps moving along with the ship or the plane.  Eventually, all the electronic equipment and other instruments start malfunctioning and ships and airplanes either disintegrate or disappear without a trace. So far, all such incidents of electronic fog have been described as supernatural phenomena. This is despite the fact that some of the real SOS calls quoting the strange fog, actually came from veteran and experienced pilots or coast guards. Due to lack of any scientific explanations, these have been treated as unreal tales.  The theory of compass variation was generated by the US coast guard to justify ships and planes getting lost in bermuda triangle (Bermuda-attractions.com). Normally a compass points toward magnetic north and not true geographic 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. Every navigator factors in the compass variation while creating the navigation charts. Otherwise, even with a 1 degree difference, the ship or the plane can end up miles away from its target when it traverses a long distance. In bermuda triangle, the magnetic north and the absolute geographic north come into the same line and the magnetic compass point towards true north. So, the compass variation will be zero here. However, this theory seems to be a weak justification. There was no reason to underestimate the navigators, who as a matter of practice consider the compass variation. If such compass adjustments are not done, accidents or loss can happen all over the world and not just in Bermuda Triangle.  Probably the US Coast Guards had to come out with some theory under tremendous pressures from the US Government and International community, as there were so many cases of disappearances taking place.  Myth Unbusted In 1975 Larry Kusche decided to investigate the claims and reached totally different conclusion. On indepth study of the records, he found ship or plane had disappeared in calm seas when records showed raging storm had been in progress. Others said ships had "mysteriously vanished" when their remains had actually been found and the cause of their sinking explained. In one case a ship listed missing in the Triangle actually had disappeared in the Pacific Ocean some 3,000 miles away! The author had confused the name of the Pacific port the ship had left with a city of the same name on the Atlantic coast (Kusche 1995). Actual Facts And Theories Explaining Increased Occurrence Of Accidents In Bermuda Triangle Weather - This region is one of the heaviest traveled areas of ocean in the world by both small boats and commercial ships along with airliners, military aircraft and private planes. Weather within the triangle where warm tropical breezes meet cold air masses from the arctic is notoriously unpredictable. According to Lt.Cmdr. Peter Quinton meteorologist and satellite liaison officer summer brings hurricanes while the warm waters of the Gulf Stream promote sudden storms. Hurricanes can usually be spotted by meteorologists using satellite surveillance. It is the small, violent thunderstorms known as meso-meteorological storms that can't be predicted since they are outside of normal weather patterns. These tornadoes, thunderstorms and immature tropical cyclones arise very quickly last a few minutes or a few seconds and dissipate completely before they reach the shore. But they stir up giant waves which can be devastating for the ship or plane which suddenly face a meso-meteorological storm of incredible intensity. Quinton also said, "Thunderstorms can generate severe electrical storms sufficient to foul up communication systems.” Another phenomenon common in the region is the waterspout. A waterspout is a tornado at sea that pulls water from the ocean surface thousands of feet into the sky that could "wreck almost anything" said Allen Hartwell, oceanographer with Normandeau Associates (Rosenberg “Exorcizing the Devil’s Triangle”). Unusual Sea floor - The seafloor in Bermuda Triangle area is found to be quite strange. There are some unusual formations. From a gentle slope it takes a sudden deep drop. In fact, some of the deepest trenches in the world are found in this area. Near the southern tip of the triangle lies the Puerto Rico Trench which at one point is 27,500 feet below sea level. Ships or planes that sink into these deep trenches will probably never be found (Ceurstement 2007). Methane Gas Theory - Computer studies of ocean floors in Bermuda Triangle reveal evidence of massive methane explosions in the past. The presence of methane hydrates indicates enormous eruptions of methane bubbles and any ship caught within the methane mega-bubble immediately will lose all buoyancy and sink to the bottom of the ocean. If the bubbles are big enough and possess a high enough density they can also knock aircraft out of the sky with little or no warning. Aircraft falling victim to these methane bubbles will lose their engines-perhaps igniting the methane surrounding them-and immediately lose their lift as well, ending their flights by diving into the ocean and swiftly plummeting (Cat 2010). Thus, on detailed investigation, concrete scientific explanations have been put forward to explain this region’s share of marine tragedy. It is amazing how many supernatural things become natural when scientifically investigated. Facts were distorted to create sensational, imaginary stories from writers wanting to sell their own books on Bermuda Triangle. Many researchers now confidently travel and work in that stretch aided with a thorough understanding of the velocity of the Gulf stream and preparedness for turbulent weather. It can therefore be concluded that the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle is not a mystery anymore.  References 1. “The Bermuda Triangle” www.byerly.org. n.p. Web. 02 Dec 2011. 2. Obringer Ann Lee. “How the Bermuda Triangle Works” How Stuff Works. n.p. Web. 01 Dec 2011. 3. “Bermuda Triangle Theories” www.bermuda-attractions.com. n.p. Web. 03 Dec 2011. 4. Kusche David Lawrence. “The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved” April 1995. n.p. Web. 01 Dec 2011. 5. Rosenberg Howard L. “Exorcizing the Devil’s Triangle” Sealift. 6 Jun 1974: 11 – 15. n.p. Web. 02 Dec 2011. 6. Ceurstemont Sandrine. “The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle” www.First Science.com. 9 Mar 2007. n.p. Web. 03 Dec 2011. 7. Cat Johny. “Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved” Science and Tech. 8 Aug 2010: n.pag. n.p. Web. 03 Dec 2011.   Read More