Is there a scientific explanation for the Bermuda Triangle?

Answer 1

There was a popular book about the Bermuda Triangle published a number of years ago. When claims in the book were examined, no evidence was found for quite a number of them. Some disappearances were rather prosaic--they actually occurred during violent storms, or were attributable to other meteorological and natural phenomenon. Some missing ships later turned up--no mystery, so far as their crews were concerned. A few of the incidents listed in the book did not occur in the Bermuda Triangle at all--one of them occurred in the Meditteranean.

The author of this examination then drew another triangle that incorporated a major shipping lane, as does the Bermuda Triangle, including equal area. His research showed there were more unexplained disappearances in his new triangle than there were confirmed and unexplained disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. The mystery then became, "why is the Bermuda Triangle a somewhat safer area than others?"

Answer 2

As per the latest discoveries, it seems that there is a weird effect in the magnetic field of earth in that area (there are some others, but not as notorious as the Triangle). Due to this effect, electronic instruments on an airplane or a ship could read wrong, and disorient the pilot long enough to make the trip dangerous and many times, fatal.

A compass could read also wrong, forcing the pilot to go in the wrong direction, and worse, most ships would be arriving to the coast, so fuel would be very low, giving no time to correct the trajectory before the fuel goes empty.

Of course, you add to this our ways to pass around bad news, and how people exaggerate, it becomes an “urban legend”.

Today there has been no more accidents or mysterious disappearances, and is more likely because of new technology and new instruments that are shield from electromagnetic disturbances.

Answer 3

The best explanations I've seen are:
1. The area is a major shipping crossroads between the U.S., Europe and South America. Therefore there are many more planes and ships in that area. Consequently, more accidents are reported from that area than from areas that have less shipping. The same explanation holds for the "Dragon Triangle" near Japan.

2. The media (A&E, for instance) loves to dramatize disasters because it sells.

Answer 4

Yes. It is the psychological/sociological phenomenon which occurs when an unexplained event takes place and people who believe too easily in the supernatural get a hold of it and start publishing in the popular media, getting their little piece of the profits from the promotion of a modern myth and its uncritical acceptance by a mystified, starry-eyed audience that just can't get enough of that sort of thing.

Answer 5

I heard recently that in that area, massive amounts of methane gas get released periodically from the seabed in that area. With all the methane bubbles in the water, ships can loose bouyancy, therefore sink.

Answer 6

There are no more unexplained disappearances in that area than any other random area in the world. It is just folk lore and myth.