Rogue waves could explain Bermuda Triangle disappearances

An oceanographer from the University of Southampton says he has found a natural explanation for the Bermuda Triangle's long history of disappearances, arguing that massive rogue waves formed by converging storms can swallow ships and aircraft in minutes. Dr. Simon Boxall presented the theory in a recent documentary and in interviews, pointing to the triangular stretch of Atlantic between Florida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda as a zone where extreme, unpredictable wave events can form with lethal consequences.

Rogue waves are unusually large, steep crests that can rise to about 30 meters, or roughly 100 feet, Boxall said. He described conditions in the region where storms from multiple directions meet, amplifying wave systems so that what might be a 10 meter swell becomes 20 or even 30 meters when combined. "There are storms to the south and north, which come together," he said. "If that happens, it can sink in a matter of two or three minutes."

To test the idea, Boxall and colleagues built a scale model of the USS Cyclops, a 542 foot collier that vanished in March 1918 with more than 300 people aboard and has long been cited in Bermuda Triangle lore. In wave-tank trials, the team...