It is the triangular area between the Bermuda Archipelago, Miami and Puerto Rico, in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, that is known as the Bermuda Triangle. Hundreds of air and maritime disappearances have taken place in this area, giving it its sinister reputation. All the more sudden than unexplained. But researchers at the University of Southampton have been drinking on the subject for years and have established a theory to explain these many missing ships and planes.
In the documentary The Bermuda Triangle Enigma (the enigma of the Bermuda Triangle), broadcast on Channel 5 on July 30, scientists explain that these volatilizations are linked to the phenomenon of rogue waves.
Rogue waves are a natural phenomenon rarely observed of huge and sudden waves that form without obvious reason. They are described by those who have seen them as walls of vertical water hitting ships. They can reach 15 m high and up to 30 m for the most impressive.
Their existence was questioned until the middle of the twentieth century, for lack of objective measurement and despite descriptions of seafarers. It was not until 1997 that the existence of these"killer" waves could be scientifically proven.
If a normal 3 m high wave exerts a pressure of 6 tonnes per m2, a 10 m high storm surge can exert a pressure of up to 12 tonnes per m2. A 30-metre high rogue wave can exert a pressure of up to 100 tonnes per m2, which is unbearable for a ship.
To support their theory, oceanologist Simon Boxall and his team created a model of the USS Cyclops, a 165 m long ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of cargo that disappeared in 1918 with 306 men on board. They recreated the phenomenon of rogue waves in a basin and within minutes, the force of the waves broke the ship's model. And the tests also revealed that the impact was even greater depending on the length of the ship.
This theory of rogue waves could explain the disappearance of ships in the Bermuda Triangle, but what about planes?
