For years, the name Bermuda Triangle has sparked tales of vanished ships and lost planes, wrapped in supernatural mystery. However, scientists now say the region's true secret lies not in the skies or sea, but deep beneath the ocean floor. New research has uncovered a colossal geological structure under Bermuda that rewrites the story of how the island formed and why it remains so high above the water.
A Hidden Geological Giant Beneath the Waves
Researchers have identified a massive, previously unknown layer of rock buried under Bermuda. This structure is an astonishing 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) thick and is unlike anything else documented on our planet. The discovery, detailed in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, finally offers an explanation for a long-standing puzzle: why Bermuda sits on a raised section of ocean crust, known as an oceanic swell, despite having no active volcanoes for over 31 million years.
Typically, such swells form above volcanic hotspots, like in Hawaii, where molten rock rises and lifts the tectonic plate. As the plate moves, the swell sinks. This model never fit Bermuda, as any volcanic swelling should have collapsed ages ago. Yet, the island stays elevated.
To solve this, scientists analyzed seismic data from a monitoring station on Bermuda. They tracked how waves from powerful global earthquakes moved through rock about 31 miles (50 km) below the island. The waves unexpectedly bent and slowed, revealing an unusual obstacle.
Dr. William Frazer, a seismologist at Carnegie Science, explained the surprise. "Typically, you have the bottom of the oceanic crust and then it would be expected to be the mantle," he told Live Science. "But in Bermuda, there is this other layer that is emplaced beneath the crust, within the tectonic plate that Bermuda sits on."
Why Bermuda Defies Volcanic Logic
According to the study, this thick, raft-like slab is frozen molten rock that was injected into the crust during Bermuda's last volcanic episode. Because it is less dense than the material around it, it acts like a buoy, pushing the island upward by roughly 500 meters (1,640 feet). This uplift also deflects the seismic waves passing through it.
This finding helps geologists resolve what they consider the island's real enigma. Unlike island chains formed by persistent mantle hotspots, Bermuda seems to be the product of a different process. Earlier studies of ancient lava from Bermuda showed it is unusually low in silicon, suggesting it came from a deep, carbon-poor part of Earth's mantle.
Scientists theorize this material may have risen during the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea, when the Atlantic Ocean began opening between 900 and 300 million years ago. This would make Bermuda fundamentally different from Pacific or Indian Ocean hotspot islands. The newly found rock layer supports this theory, providing a mechanism for the sustained elevation long after volcanoes fell silent.
Researchers are now examining other islands worldwide to see if similar structures exist or if Bermuda is a unique geological wonder. Dr. Frazer emphasized the importance of the discovery: "Understanding a place like Bermuda, which is an extreme location, is important to understand places that are less extreme and gives us a sense of what are the more normal processes that happen on Earth."
The Triangle's Surface Mystery: Rogue Waves, Not Ghosts
While the underground mystery finds an answer, the Bermuda Triangle's reputation for disappearances persists. The area between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda has been linked to many unexplained maritime disasters. Oceanographers, however, point to a powerful natural force: rogue waves.
Also called extreme storm waves, these are unpredictable walls of water that can rise to twice the height of surrounding seas. They can tower up to 100 feet (30 meters), are incredibly steep, and can strike from any direction.
Dr. Simon Boxall, an oceanographer at the University of Southampton, has identified these waves as a likely culprit for many sinkings. He states that a large vessel caught by a rogue wave could be overwhelmed almost instantly. "A ship hit by such a wave could sink in a matter of two or three minutes," he told media outlets.
Together, these scientific insights suggest the legends of the Bermuda Triangle are less about myth and more about the powerful, and once poorly understood, forces of nature—both hidden deep below the seabed and raging on its surface.
