Scientists may now have an idea what is behind the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. The 500,000 square mile area of ocean bounded by Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico has been known to claim many planes, ships and lives that disappear under mysterious circumstances.
Over the past 100 years, at least 1,000 lives have already been lost in this region and four planes and 20 yachts on average go missing here every year. Theories that seek to provide explanation to these events abound, ranging from the influence of the lost continent of Atlantis and aliens capturing humans.
Now, a new theory that is more grounded on science is being proposed to explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle.
Hexagonal clouds that form above the region may have something to do with the disappearances. New images unveiled on a Science Channel segment on Wednesday depicted hexagonal clouds above the Bermuda Triangle.
Meteorologists say these clouds can produce 170 miles per hour wind air bombs and waves measuring more than 45 feet high. These powerful air bombs can make it very difficult for planes and ships to pass through this area in the Atlantic ocean.
Researchers determined that the clouds stretched between 20 to 55 miles across. The biggest of these clouds notably appear right above the western tip of the Bermuda Island.
Researchers now speculate that the hexagonal clouds can explain the mysterious disappearance of people, aircraft and ship that pass through the Bermuda Triangle because of the bad weather they can produce as the sudden air currents can be very strong and produce massive waves.
"These types of hexagonal shapes over the ocean are, in essence, 'air bombs,'" explained meteorologist Randy Cerveny. "They're formed by what are called microbursts."
To put the 170 miles per hour force of these winds into perspective, a hurricane with winds that reach 157 miles per hour is considered as category five. These hurricanes can destroy homes or knock an aircraft out of the sky.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that something scientific and not superficial could explain what is behind the disappearances. The agency said that the disasters can likely be blamed on bad weather.
"The majority of Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes pass through the Bermuda Triangle, and in the days prior to improved weather forecasting, these dangerous storms claimed many ships. Also, the Gulf Stream can cause rapid, sometimes violent, changes in weather," NOAA said.
