The Bermuda Triangle: Fact or Fiction?

In popular culture the 'Bermuda Triangle' has been cited as a paranormal graveyard for a number of aircrafts and ships.

It lies in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean and the region is said to cover up to 1.5 million square miles. Its victims include the famous Flight 19 and USS Cyclops, but was the Bermuda Triangle really the culprate for these unfortunate disasters?

There exist a number of outlandish supernatural and legitimate natural explanations for the phenomenon but what scientists and triangle writers want to know is; what is it? Is it a powerful magentic field? A spiralling, unforgiving whirlpool? A relentless storm? The fact is, no one really knows.

Incidents
Ellen Austin, 1881

Whilst in the region known as the Bermuda Triangle, the Ellen Austin (an American schooner) met with another ship (with no one on board) and attempted to sail with it to New York. The Captain of the Ellen Austin sent a prize crew on board to help salvage the ship. Mysteriously, it disappeared.

USS Cyclops, 1918

After departing Barbados in March 1918, the USS Cyclops went missing without a trace resulting in the single largest loss of life in the history of the US Navy not related to combat.

Flight 19, 1945

On December 5th 1945, a training flight of five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers failed to return to base after disappearing over the Atlantic. PBM Mariner (one of the search and rescue aircraft sent to locate Flight 19) also disappeared with 13 men on board. Navy investigators have blamed the disaster on navigational error which led to the aircraft running out of fuel.

Douglas DC-3, 1948

Whilst on route to Miami from San Juan, Puerto Rico, aircraft number NC16002 disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle. No trace of the aircraft or the 32 people on board was ever found.

Explanations
The Supernatural
Atlantis -  whoever would have though that the lost city of Atlantis could have had anything to do with the Bermuda Triangle? According to one wacky theory, the Triangle is the result of leftover technology from the mythical city. Connected to this story is the submerged rock formation known as the Bimini Road off the island of Bimini in the Bahamas. This formation is often referred to as the Bermuda Triangle.

Magnetic Fields - according to legend, the Bermuda Triangle is one of only two places on the planet where a compass points true north as opposed to the magnetic north. Navigators now know that a compass must be calibrated depending on the location of the globe. The Triangle was once a place where the compass pointed true north but today, it no longer sits in any sort of magnetic area.

UFO's and Aliens - this 'well thought out' theory points to extraterrestrials as a cause of disaster in the area... If you dare enter the Triangle (or portal) at the wrong time, you will end up trapped between dimensions and gobbled up by ET and his mates.

The Natural
Weather - unlikely when there have been so many reported disasters in the same area.

Gulf Stream - originating in the Gulf of Mexico, the ocean current flows through the straits of Florida into the North Atlantic. It reaches speeds of up to 2.5 metres per second and possesses enough energy to transport a water landing plane or a boat having engine trouble away from its reported position.

Methane Hydrates - methane hydrates are a form of natural gas often located on continental shelves. Experiments have proven that bubbles created by the gas have the ability to sink a ship by decreasing the density of water. The Gulf Stream would then rapidly disperse any wreckage.

Rogue Waves - around the world, rogue waves have caused ships to sink and oil platforms to topple. Could this be a suitable explanation for the many disasters in the area?

The Bermuda Triangle is and will remain a source of debate and fascination for years to come and although the supernatural theories behind the phenomenon may be fairly ridiculous, who says they aren't true?