For decades, the Bermuda Triangle has been the world's most infamous maritime mystery, a region of the Atlantic Ocean shrouded in fear and folklore where aircraft and vessels seemingly vanish into thin air. Now, scientists believe they may have finally cracked the code.
Rather than pointing to alien abductions or supernatural forces, researchers are attributing the historical disappearances to a terrifying and immensely powerful natural phenomenon: monstrous, 100-foot 'rogue waves'.
The Science Behind the Supernatural
Using state-of-the-art simulation technology, oceanographers from the University of Southampton have modelled how these sudden, extreme waves could form in the volatile waters of the Bermuda Triangle. The area, bounded by Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, is uniquely susceptible to storms converging from multiple directions, creating the perfect recipe for these oceanic monsters.
These rogue waves are described as 'walls of water' that appear without warning, are incredibly steep, and can reach staggering heights of up to 30 metres (100 feet). The research suggests that such a wave striking a vessel would be catastrophic.
Putting a Theory to the Test
To prove their hypothesis, the team built a model of the USS Cyclops, a massive American coal carrier that disappeared in the Triangle in 1918 with 309 people aboard—the single largest loss of life in the history of the US Navy outside of combat.
When they subjected their scale model to the simulated force of a rogue wave in a simulator tank, the results were chilling. The wave's sheer size and force would cause the ship to be swamped and break apart, sinking in a matter of minutes—far too quickly to send a distress signal.
'There’s no need for aliens or magic to explain the losses in the Bermuda Triangle,' the scientists concluded. 'The science of the sea, and specifically these freak waves, provides a more than adequate answer.'
This groundbreaking research offers a compelling, evidence-based explanation for a legend that has captivated and terrified the world for generations, suggesting that the truth, while less fantastical, is no less formidable.
