Kids ink: Mystery, history behind the Bermuda Triangle

"Why do ships and planes crash in the Bermuda Triangle?" asked a student who attended the Wauconda Area Library's STEM camp last summer.

The Bermuda Triangle has a history of mystery - authors spin tales about unexplained phenomena that down ships and planes.

But can the multiple mishaps be explained with science?

Years ago, a fleet of Navy planes soaring over the ocean region bounded by Bermuda, Puerto Rico and south Florida known as the Bermuda Triangle suddenly lost communication, and a search plane sent to investigate also disappeared.

Even last year, the Bermuda Triangle was roiled by 92 mph hurricane forces that drove a cargo ship, the El Faro, 15,000 feet below the surface. Sadly, the crew of 33 sailors, mostly Americans, lost their lives.

Is it science or superstition behind the tragic mishaps?

Bermuda lies about 650 miles east of the U.S. coast, two hours from New York City by airplane. It's a fish hook-shaped archipelago, a cluster of 138 islands, some mere mini specks, created through volcanic activity. Although surrounded by water, the islands have no streams and residents use rainwater collected on the rooftops for drinking water.

Strong currents churn the waters where the Caribbean Sea joins the warm and turbulent Gulf Stream at the Bermuda Triangle. Hurricane winds during the June-to-November hurricane season are the most likely cause of ship and plane accidents. The gaps between islands can become dangerous passes as storms generate high winds and rough seas.

This year, two hurricanes have plowed past Bermuda's sandy shores.

Another theory has to do with compass readings and the earth's magnetic north and true north designations.

The region surrounding the Bermuda Triangle and an area off Japan are two places where compasses register true north, not the typical magnetic north reading. This unexpected reading could possibly confuse pilots who are unaware of the phenomenon. Most experts, however, believe airplane pilots and ship captains would not fall prey to navigation errors.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration supports the stormy seas theory as the reason for the plane and ship incidents.

Despite the rumors of high calamity on the Bermuda Triangle's high seas, the U.S. Coast Guard does not consider voyaging into the Bermuda Triangle to be a cause for concern.