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Narrator:
The bermuda triangle,
an area off the florida coast
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made famous
for the mysterious disappearance
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of ships and planes.
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Ditty: Normally, you would find
a life vest,
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a life preserver or something,
but not a trace.
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Narrator:
Here, engines
and instruments go haywire.
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Pilots and captains get lost,
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and passengers and crew
are never seen again.
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Pepper: There must be
some really powerful
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and terrifying forces involved.
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Narrator:
Now investigators unravel
the real
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00:00:35,536 --> 00:00:38,904
and terrifying forces at play.
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Geez!
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Look at that!
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To solve this mystery, we dive
deep into the bermuda triangle,
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digitally deconstruct
the strange disappearances
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to reveal a hidden world...
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...And an extraordinary
landscape like no other,
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and unravel the curse
of the bermuda triangle.
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♪
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-- captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com
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captions paid for by
discovery communications
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off the eastern seaboard
of the united states
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is an area known
as the bermuda triangle.
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On average, 4 planes
and 20 ships
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are reported to go missing
in this region every year.
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Its victims vanish
without a trace.
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There's still things
that are unanswered.
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We still today conclusively
and definitively don't know
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what happened with a whole host
of ships and aircrafts.
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Narrator:
The triangle covers 1/2 million
square miles of ocean
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stretching between bermuda,
miami, and puerto rico.
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It's a graveyard of lost wrecks.
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Among its victims,
the u.S.S. Cyclops,
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a huge freighter that disappears
under mysterious circumstances;
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flight 19, five bombers
that vanish into thin air;
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and most recently el faro,
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a cargo ship lost at sea
with no survivors.
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What makes this empty patch
of ocean so deadly?
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Flying in the bahamas
on a weekly basis,
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it sits in the back of my mind,
flight 19 and other aircraft
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and ships
that have disappeared in there.
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Narrator:
Aviator charlie berichi
is fascinated
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by the mysteries
of the bermuda triangle.
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He investigates one of the
triangle's most famous
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incidents --
the disappearance of flight 19.
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There's not a shred of evidence
suggesting where they went down,
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no shred of evidence
as far as aircraft wreckage.
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Narrator:
Winter of 1945, flight 19,
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a squadron of u.S.
Air force tbm avengers,
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fly out of
fort lauderdale, florida.
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Its five pilots and nine crewmen
are on a routine
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navigation-and-combat
training mission.
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Shortly after takeoff,
things start to go wrong.
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As the planes fly over
the western corner
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of the bermuda triangle...
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...Their twin compasses
suddenly stop working.
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Disoriented and unable
to navigate,
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the crew now looks for landmarks
to guide them home.
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The flight leader spots
a group of islands
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that he identifies
as the florida keys.
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He changes course based
on this landmark,
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and his trainee pilots
follow him.
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All five planes vanish.
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Searching for clues, charlie
flies into the bermuda triangle.
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This is where the trouble
started.
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Flying over open waters, you can
see there's nothing outside
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right now
to use as a landmark,
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and it would definitely
be hazardous
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if you had
your compass go out.
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Narrator:
From his cockpit, charlie thinks
flight 19's leader
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makes a mistake
in his identification
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of the florida keys.
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Berichi:
These airmen were in the same
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exact position
we're in right now
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with deteriorating
weather conditions.
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As these cumulus clouds
begin to devour the horizon,
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how do we know which side is up
and which side is down?
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Narrator:
Charlie believes the flight
leader is confused
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and completely lost.
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Berichi:
It was impossible.
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There's no way
they ended up in key west.
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Narrator:
If the patrol isn't in
the florida keys, where is it?
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Charlie flies
on searching for clues.
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Forty minutes later
and over 200 miles away,
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he spots a chain of islands
north of the bahamas
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that bears a striking
similarity to the keys.
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The great abaco islands
looks like key west.
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I can understand how what we see
ahead of us
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kind of looks like key west
as you start going southbound.
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So at this point in time
in our investigation,
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I'm starting to see
what they saw
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and how this could become
even more confusing.
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Narrator:
If charlie is right, flight 19
is in terrible trouble.
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It's hopelessly lost
in the atlantic
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with their fuel running low.
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♪
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hey, donnie.
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Narrator:
Back safely on the ground,
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charlie works with fellow pilot
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donnie ditty to investigate
his theory that
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flight 19 mistakes its position
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and flies
in the wrong direction.
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Donnie is a retired u.S. Army
attack helicopter pilot
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with over half a century
of flying experience.
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Ditty: The real question is,
where is flight 19 right now?
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Where did it go down?
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Narrator:
Plotting its flight path
from the abaco islands
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where it gets lost,
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donnie and charlie piece
together what could be
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flight 19's final moments.
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Ditty:
They flew a course of 091.
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We are talking about
roughly 26 minutes.
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Narrator: Because the flight
leader believes
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the squadron
is in the florida keys,
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they fly northeast
to get back to fort lauderdale.
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Ditty: Somewhere
around 2 hours of flight,
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he established
a northeast heading.
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Narrator:
But if they're actually
over the abaco islands,
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they're flying
further out to sea.
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If he had 3 more hours of fuel,
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he would have gone roughly 400
miles into the north atlantic.
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Narrator: Donnie believes
flight 19 runs out of fuel
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and ditches in the ocean.
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Probably in a few hours,
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they were all unconscious.
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Narrator:
If donnie and charlie are right,
the location the planes go down
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and sink explains why no
wreckage
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has ever been recovered.
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Ditty: Just a few miles
off of abaco island,
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there's a sheer cliff
that drops down to 15,000 feet.
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Narrator:
The planes are now lost
in the abyss of the atlantic.
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We've got possible compass
failure, losing track of time.
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We've got poor airmanship.
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I'm pretty confident that it is,
it did just ditch
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and run out of fuel
in the northeast side
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of the abaco islands
in 15,000 feet of water.
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Narrator: But there's another
unsolved mystery.
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Following
flight 19's disappearance,
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a pbm mariner seaplane
is dispatched
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on a search-and-rescue mission.
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It, along with its 13 crew,
also disappears without a trace.
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The mariner is perfect
for long searches.
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It has five fuel tanks
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that give it
a massive 3,000-mile range,
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but some tanks are leaky,
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allowing fuel vapors
to spread through the plane,
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turning it into a flying bomb.
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On that fateful night,
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the mariner takes off
from florida.
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It plans to fly a search
pattern across the bahamas,
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but just 20 minutes
after takeoff,
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a passing ship
sees an explosion
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with flames leaping 100 feet
into the air
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right where the mariner
goes missing.
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It was such a horrific
explosion.
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They still to this day
haven't found any part of it.
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Narrator:
The lack of wreckage is
a common feature
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of many bermuda
triangle mysteries,
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but at its north corner hidden
beneath the waves of bermuda,
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the evidence of wrecks
is very real.
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Could unearthing the island
of bermuda itself
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reveal more clues to
the triangle's hidden secrets?
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Narrator:
The bermuda triangle,
a section of the atlantic ocean
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that stretches between florida,
bermuda, and puerto rico,
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it cannot be found
on any official map...
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...But it's a place where ships,
planes,
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and people simply vanish.
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At the triangle's northern apex
in the blue waters of bermuda,
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more than 300 wrecks form
a ring around the islands.
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Many of their hulls
have been torn apart,
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floundering on the huge coral
reefs that surround the atoll.
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These reefs are formed
by coral skeletons,
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which are essentially
just little animals that want
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to grow as close to the surface
of the water as possible.
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Narrator: But these reefs
are clearly indicated on maps.
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So what lures the ships
to their doom here?
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Bermuda is an idyllic
island group.
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The sea's smooth surface
conceals an alien landscape
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shaped by volcanic forces.
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Surrounding the islands
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are a hidden barrier
of jagged coral reefs
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made from razor-sharp limestone
capable of tearing a ship apart,
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and deeper down hidden inside
an underwater mountain
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is a mysterious iron-rich
substance called magnetite.
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Could this explain why
the bermuda triangle
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is so dangerous?
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When you form iron oxides,
or essentially nature's rust,
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and you subject
that to high temperatures,
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you form magnetite,
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and these high-temperature
iron-oxide conditions
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exist here,
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potentially forming billions
of tons of this stuff offshore.
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Narrator:
Geoscientist dr. Martin pepper
believes magnetite
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may be responsible
for bermuda's wrecks.
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Magnetite is the most magnetic
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naturally occurring substance
in the world,
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but how is a rock buried
beneath an island
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luring ships to their doom?
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00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,367
If we take a handful
of magnetite
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and we put our compass
on top of that like our ship
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would be trying to navigate
over a giant deposit,
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00:12:22,142 --> 00:12:24,843
you can actually see
that the compass needle
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just swings round and round.
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If you desperately need to know
where you're going
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and you don't have a specific
bearing, that means trouble.
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00:12:34,354 --> 00:12:37,288
Narrator:
Martin wants to know
if the magnetite beneath bermuda
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has an affect
on compass readings.
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Using a magnetometer,
he tests the strength
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of a sample of magnetite.
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00:12:46,366 --> 00:12:47,999
Here we go.
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00:12:52,005 --> 00:12:56,107
With about a pound of magnetite,
I'm getting about 12.4 gauss.
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00:12:56,109 --> 00:12:57,942
That's about 40 times
more powerful
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00:12:57,944 --> 00:13:00,545
than the average
magnetic field of the earth.
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00:13:00,547 --> 00:13:03,181
Narrator: Martin does the math.
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00:13:03,183 --> 00:13:07,018
Most of bermuda's wrecks lie
on a 65-foot volcanic plateau
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00:13:07,020 --> 00:13:09,854
around the island.
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00:13:09,856 --> 00:13:12,257
Magnetic fields are essentially
a cubic function,
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00:13:12,259 --> 00:13:15,059
so for every 2 feet
you go away from it,
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00:13:15,061 --> 00:13:17,362
it decreases its strength
eight times,
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00:13:17,364 --> 00:13:19,097
so you have to be pretty close
to this stuff for it
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00:13:19,099 --> 00:13:22,000
to mess with your compass.
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00:13:22,002 --> 00:13:25,737
Narrator: It leads martin
to an astonishing conclusion.
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00:13:25,739 --> 00:13:29,574
If the magnetite lies
beneath the volcanic plateau,
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00:13:29,576 --> 00:13:34,879
there must be an enormous amount
of the rock beneath bermuda.
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00:13:34,881 --> 00:13:38,583
It might be as much
as 10 billion tons.
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00:13:38,585 --> 00:13:40,451
In the shallows, this could
totally explain
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00:13:40,453 --> 00:13:42,086
those hundreds of shipwrecks.
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00:13:44,391 --> 00:13:46,291
Narrator:
As a ship sails toward bermuda,
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00:13:46,293 --> 00:13:49,961
it passes over the ancient
volcano that formed the islands.
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00:13:54,768 --> 00:13:56,134
The magnetite in the rocks
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beneath could pull the ship's
compass off true north.
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00:13:59,906 --> 00:14:05,677
♪
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00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:10,715
so the captain may think that
bermuda's reefs are miles away
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00:14:10,717 --> 00:14:13,351
when actually he is
heading right for them.
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00:14:17,791 --> 00:14:21,559
It's a mistake that sailors
make through the ages,
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00:14:21,561 --> 00:14:26,898
turning the waters around
bermuda into a ship's graveyard.
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00:14:26,900 --> 00:14:29,968
Imagine being out to sea
with no land in sight.
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00:14:29,970 --> 00:14:33,905
In calm waters is
when the danger begins.
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00:14:33,907 --> 00:14:35,473
Narrator:
Bermuda's treacherous reefs
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00:14:35,475 --> 00:14:37,742
and its compass-bending
magnetite
242
00:14:37,744 --> 00:14:41,546
are a lethal combination
for unsuspecting sailors.
243
00:14:41,548 --> 00:14:44,616
Lose your compass, and you
could easily hit one of these.
244
00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:51,990
Narrator:
But bermuda only forms
one tip of the vast triangle.
245
00:14:51,992 --> 00:14:54,826
What strange forces explain
other ships sunk
246
00:14:54,828 --> 00:14:57,729
beneath the waves
of these deadly waters?
247
00:15:10,143 --> 00:15:15,480
Narrator:
The bermuda triangle, a stretch
of sea off america's east coast
248
00:15:15,482 --> 00:15:18,182
where people, planes, and ships
249
00:15:18,184 --> 00:15:20,652
are said
to mysteriously disappear.
250
00:15:24,724 --> 00:15:28,359
In March 1918,
the u.S.S. Cyclops,
251
00:15:28,361 --> 00:15:30,428
a massive coal freighter,
252
00:15:30,430 --> 00:15:35,133
steams out of barbados
headed for baltimore.
253
00:15:35,135 --> 00:15:37,835
The ship, along with
its passengers and crew,
254
00:15:37,837 --> 00:15:40,939
vanish,
never to be seen again.
255
00:15:43,476 --> 00:15:46,911
Cyclops' route takes it
across the southern edge
256
00:15:46,913 --> 00:15:49,881
of the bermuda triangle.
257
00:15:49,883 --> 00:15:51,482
Hidden beneath the ocean here
258
00:15:51,484 --> 00:15:56,721
is a gigantic trench
5 miles deep,
259
00:15:56,723 --> 00:16:02,794
60 miles wide,
and 1,000 miles long.
260
00:16:02,796 --> 00:16:05,330
It's the deepest point
in the atlantic ocean,
261
00:16:07,534 --> 00:16:11,836
and cyclops is not
its only victim.
262
00:16:11,838 --> 00:16:16,174
In 1941, her two sister ships
also go missing here.
263
00:16:19,612 --> 00:16:23,081
It's a remarkable coincidence,
but how could a trench,
264
00:16:23,083 --> 00:16:25,883
however deep,
possibly sink a ship?
265
00:16:29,155 --> 00:16:32,223
Oceanographers like to say
we know the bottom of the ocean
266
00:16:32,225 --> 00:16:35,293
less well than we know
the surface of the moon.
267
00:16:35,295 --> 00:16:38,629
Narrator:
Marine scientist brian haus
is investigating
268
00:16:38,631 --> 00:16:43,534
how the cyclops may have ended
up at the bottom of the trench.
269
00:16:43,536 --> 00:16:45,670
He heads up the sustain lab
270
00:16:45,672 --> 00:16:48,840
at the university of miami's
rosenstiel school of marine
271
00:16:48,842 --> 00:16:52,310
and atmospheric science.
272
00:16:52,312 --> 00:16:56,247
It's a unique facility that can
create freak weather conditions.
273
00:16:59,019 --> 00:17:01,586
At the time cyclops sets sail,
274
00:17:01,588 --> 00:17:05,523
there are no reports
of stormy weather,
275
00:17:05,525 --> 00:17:08,593
but brian suspects the ship
is hit by a rare phenomenon
276
00:17:08,595 --> 00:17:13,064
that until recently
is considered a myth --
277
00:17:13,066 --> 00:17:15,566
rogue waves.
278
00:17:15,568 --> 00:17:17,435
Haus: They are a reality
on the surface,
279
00:17:17,437 --> 00:17:22,206
and they do occur a lot more
frequently than we think.
280
00:17:22,208 --> 00:17:24,175
Narrator:
Rogue waves are normally formed
281
00:17:24,177 --> 00:17:28,846
when swells travel across
the ocean at different speeds.
282
00:17:28,848 --> 00:17:31,049
When these swells pass
over each other,
283
00:17:31,051 --> 00:17:35,820
their crests and troughs
can coincide and intensify,
284
00:17:35,822 --> 00:17:39,223
creating walls of water
that can reach 100 feet.
285
00:17:39,225 --> 00:17:41,926
Haus: When two of these waves
come together, they add up.
286
00:17:41,928 --> 00:17:45,730
That creates a very large wave
at that location.
287
00:17:45,732 --> 00:17:48,533
Narrator: Is the cyclops struck
by a rogue wave?
288
00:17:50,837 --> 00:17:53,971
Brian suspects rogue waves
may occur naturally above
289
00:17:53,973 --> 00:17:56,974
the puerto rico trench,
where the cyclops is heading.
290
00:18:00,180 --> 00:18:03,881
That's because the trench has
a unique underwater landscape
291
00:18:03,883 --> 00:18:08,719
that turns ordinary waves
into killers.
292
00:18:08,721 --> 00:18:11,355
Strangely, it's not
the trench's immense depth
293
00:18:11,357 --> 00:18:14,892
that creates
the killer rogue waves,
294
00:18:14,894 --> 00:18:17,995
it's the trench's shallow areas.
295
00:18:17,997 --> 00:18:19,697
Haus:
It's got to be shallow enough
that the waves
296
00:18:19,699 --> 00:18:21,365
will actually feel the bottom
297
00:18:21,367 --> 00:18:24,936
and then having
this sharp topography.
298
00:18:24,938 --> 00:18:27,572
Narrator:
Brian's study of rogue waves
reveals they occur
299
00:18:27,574 --> 00:18:31,576
in shallow waters
where the length of the wave
300
00:18:31,578 --> 00:18:35,146
closely matches
the water's depth.
301
00:18:35,148 --> 00:18:40,485
He searches the puerto rico
trench for these danger zones.
302
00:18:40,487 --> 00:18:43,087
Haus:
This area of the mona trough,
303
00:18:43,089 --> 00:18:46,424
this area up over here
by the navidad bank,
304
00:18:46,426 --> 00:18:48,359
and then again over off
the virgin islands
305
00:18:48,361 --> 00:18:51,195
in these trenches over here,
306
00:18:51,197 --> 00:18:52,930
the waves are interacting
as they come up
307
00:18:52,932 --> 00:18:57,902
onto the really shallow waters
on the sides of the banks.
308
00:18:57,904 --> 00:19:00,404
Narrator:
Brian identifies several areas
in the trench
309
00:19:00,406 --> 00:19:04,675
that could create
monster rogue waves,
310
00:19:04,677 --> 00:19:10,214
but could the cyclops survive
the impact with such a wave?
311
00:19:10,216 --> 00:19:13,584
Brian and his team use
a model of the ship to find out.
312
00:19:17,023 --> 00:19:18,956
Haus: So right now my team
is in the tank,
313
00:19:18,958 --> 00:19:21,759
and they're getting the boat
ready to have it
314
00:19:21,761 --> 00:19:24,362
get hit by the waves.
315
00:19:24,364 --> 00:19:27,565
Narrator:
The team first simulates
a standard wave pattern.
316
00:19:30,570 --> 00:19:33,571
The ship easily rides the waves.
317
00:19:33,573 --> 00:19:35,973
Haus: You see that the boat
is just bobbing up and down
318
00:19:35,975 --> 00:19:39,810
without having any issue
in that wave field.
319
00:19:42,148 --> 00:19:45,183
Narrator:
Next, the team simulates
a rogue wave.
320
00:19:48,421 --> 00:19:50,821
Haus:
Okay, so now we see we've
started this group of waves
321
00:19:50,823 --> 00:19:52,323
that are going to come together.
322
00:19:52,325 --> 00:19:54,258
The shortest waves
are coming first.
323
00:19:54,260 --> 00:19:57,094
The boat is handling that okay.
324
00:19:57,096 --> 00:19:59,463
We see the larger wave
coming up,
325
00:19:59,465 --> 00:20:00,898
and then, wow, it just broke,
326
00:20:00,900 --> 00:20:04,202
and that ship
just went right down.
327
00:20:04,204 --> 00:20:09,040
Narrator:
The model ship is overwhelmed.
328
00:20:09,042 --> 00:20:14,078
Haus:
You scale it would be equivalent
to about a 90-foot-high wave,
329
00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:19,283
which breaking is just
a tremendous amount of energy.
330
00:20:19,285 --> 00:20:21,185
Narrator:
The changing depth
of the seafloor
331
00:20:21,187 --> 00:20:22,553
can trigger a rogue wave
332
00:20:22,555 --> 00:20:27,625
on the surface
towering up to 90 feet tall.
333
00:20:30,296 --> 00:20:34,265
Traveling at 75 miles an hour,
334
00:20:34,267 --> 00:20:37,668
it strikes cyclops
without warning,
335
00:20:37,670 --> 00:20:44,842
leaving no time for an s.O.S.,
and the trench here is so deep
336
00:20:44,844 --> 00:20:47,011
that the wreck sinks
to oblivion,
337
00:20:47,013 --> 00:20:48,779
never to be seen again.
338
00:20:52,552 --> 00:20:54,986
23 years later,
339
00:20:54,988 --> 00:20:59,423
her two sister ships
sail in the same waters
340
00:20:59,425 --> 00:21:01,525
and may suffer the same fate.
341
00:21:03,997 --> 00:21:06,731
Brian believes a rogue wave
is a solution
342
00:21:06,733 --> 00:21:09,600
to a 100-year-old mystery.
343
00:21:09,602 --> 00:21:12,737
Haus:
The u.S.S. Cyclops could've been
hit by a rogue wave.
344
00:21:12,739 --> 00:21:15,339
It's in an area where these
are likely to occur,
345
00:21:15,341 --> 00:21:16,674
and it's very consistent
346
00:21:16,676 --> 00:21:20,978
with the available
evidence in this case.
347
00:21:20,980 --> 00:21:26,117
Narrator: Today, the cyclops
lies somewhere on the seabed.
348
00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:27,885
Now researchers
are investigating
349
00:21:27,887 --> 00:21:29,887
a strange alien-like substance
350
00:21:29,889 --> 00:21:33,491
that lies beneath
the ocean bedrock,
351
00:21:33,493 --> 00:21:37,094
one that may be responsible for
other unexplained disappearances
352
00:21:37,096 --> 00:21:38,829
in the bermuda triangle.
353
00:21:49,809 --> 00:21:53,711
Narrator:
The bermuda triangle --
a deadly patch of ocean
354
00:21:53,713 --> 00:21:56,480
that claims the lives
of thousands.
355
00:21:56,482 --> 00:21:58,983
In a lot of these cases,
there's no distress calls,
356
00:21:58,985 --> 00:22:02,119
no sign of wreckage,
nothing.
357
00:22:02,121 --> 00:22:03,854
Narrator:
Now scientists are investigating
358
00:22:03,856 --> 00:22:08,326
a strange alien-like substance
on the ocean floor
359
00:22:08,328 --> 00:22:12,029
that some believe can swallow
entire ships without warning.
360
00:22:16,569 --> 00:22:18,402
The waters of the bermuda
triangle
361
00:22:18,404 --> 00:22:20,471
hide an explosive danger.
362
00:22:22,842 --> 00:22:26,310
Buried just below the seafloor
lie
363
00:22:26,312 --> 00:22:30,247
immense ice
domes of methane hydrate,
364
00:22:30,249 --> 00:22:33,417
methane gas trapped
in water frozen solid
365
00:22:33,419 --> 00:22:36,454
by crushing pressure
and icy temperatures.
366
00:22:40,827 --> 00:22:45,096
But the ice crystals
are unstable,
367
00:22:45,098 --> 00:22:46,530
so if they're disturbed,
368
00:22:46,532 --> 00:22:50,201
they can collapse and release
the gas in a huge eruption.
369
00:22:53,506 --> 00:22:59,009
Could these monster bubbles
have the power to sink a ship?
370
00:22:59,011 --> 00:23:00,478
When you look at
the methane molecule,
371
00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,047
it is one of the weirdest
solids you've ever seen
372
00:23:03,049 --> 00:23:07,318
because it literally takes ice,
merges it with methane,
373
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,821
and you can store up to 80 times
the volume of methane gas
374
00:23:10,823 --> 00:23:13,958
locked into this ice.
375
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,527
Narrator:
Geoscientist dr. Martin pepper
suspects
376
00:23:16,529 --> 00:23:18,195
that methane-hydrate ice
377
00:23:18,197 --> 00:23:21,132
may explain the disappearance
of dozens of ships
378
00:23:21,134 --> 00:23:22,767
in the bermuda triangle.
379
00:23:25,872 --> 00:23:30,040
Methane ice forms
in very deep or very cold water
380
00:23:30,042 --> 00:23:34,979
where microbes in the clay
sediment produce methane gas,
381
00:23:34,981 --> 00:23:36,881
but the real problem
is when the methane
382
00:23:36,883 --> 00:23:38,783
is trapped
beneath the seabed,
383
00:23:38,785 --> 00:23:43,654
and the gas builds
over thousands of years.
384
00:23:43,656 --> 00:23:46,724
As the methane deep below
it tries to boil out,
385
00:23:46,726 --> 00:23:50,361
that pressure is held in until
finally that clay can't take it
386
00:23:50,363 --> 00:23:51,996
and then...
387
00:23:54,233 --> 00:23:56,000
Narrator:
But can a methane-ice blowout
388
00:23:56,002 --> 00:23:59,003
in the bermuda triangle
sink a ship?
389
00:23:59,005 --> 00:24:00,304
Pepper:
The problem is, as scientists,
390
00:24:00,306 --> 00:24:02,239
we don't know
how much is down there,
391
00:24:02,241 --> 00:24:05,176
but the bermuda triangle here
is not immune,
392
00:24:05,178 --> 00:24:06,877
and we know there's a lot.
393
00:24:09,916 --> 00:24:12,716
Narrator:
Martin conducts an experiment
to investigate.
394
00:24:17,457 --> 00:24:19,156
He fills a 70-ounce bottle
395
00:24:19,158 --> 00:24:23,828
with 15 ounces
of dry carbon-dioxide ice.
396
00:24:23,830 --> 00:24:25,629
Pepper: We're using dry ice,
which is essentially
397
00:24:25,631 --> 00:24:27,932
just the solid form
of carbon dioxide,
398
00:24:27,934 --> 00:24:30,167
and we're using that
for safety purposes
399
00:24:30,169 --> 00:24:34,104
because we want to build
pressure to explode the bottle,
400
00:24:34,106 --> 00:24:35,539
but we don't want
the flammability
401
00:24:35,541 --> 00:24:38,909
that we have in methane.
402
00:24:38,911 --> 00:24:42,947
These bottles typically rupture
at about 200 to 300 psi.
403
00:24:42,949 --> 00:24:44,815
That is a huge amount
of pressure,
404
00:24:44,817 --> 00:24:47,384
which also gives us
a large volume of air
405
00:24:47,386 --> 00:24:49,954
coming to the surface.
406
00:24:49,956 --> 00:24:51,889
Narrator:
Martin plans to release
a large bubble
407
00:24:51,891 --> 00:24:55,726
beneath a model ship to simulate
a methane-ice explosion
408
00:24:55,728 --> 00:24:58,662
in the bermuda triangle.
409
00:24:58,664 --> 00:25:00,264
To really tease out
what happens,
410
00:25:00,266 --> 00:25:02,867
I've put these little action
cameras all over everything,
411
00:25:02,869 --> 00:25:04,168
so after the experiment,
412
00:25:04,170 --> 00:25:06,470
we can break it down
just like a crime scene.
413
00:25:08,674 --> 00:25:11,942
Narrator:
Martin adds a little water
to speed up the reaction...
414
00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:15,980
...And then seals the bottle.
415
00:25:15,982 --> 00:25:18,816
Really cinch it on.
416
00:25:21,087 --> 00:25:25,556
He positions it beneath
the model ship
417
00:25:25,558 --> 00:25:28,559
and waits for
the pressure to build.
418
00:25:28,561 --> 00:25:30,027
Pepper: We're starting to see
some bubbles,
419
00:25:30,029 --> 00:25:31,962
and that's because
the bottle is expanding
420
00:25:31,964 --> 00:25:35,266
and forcing it
out of the foam underneath.
421
00:25:35,268 --> 00:25:37,401
That's always a sign
it's about to go off.
422
00:25:37,403 --> 00:25:43,307
♪
423
00:25:43,309 --> 00:25:44,775
geez!
424
00:25:44,777 --> 00:25:46,911
Look at that!
425
00:25:46,913 --> 00:25:50,614
That was insane!
426
00:25:50,616 --> 00:25:52,816
Narrator:
The explosion releases
a huge bubble
427
00:25:52,818 --> 00:25:55,119
that sinks the model
in an instant.
428
00:25:59,759 --> 00:26:04,795
Martin reviews high-speed
footage of the experiment.
429
00:26:04,797 --> 00:26:07,298
This is impressive because
you can actually see
430
00:26:07,300 --> 00:26:09,967
the shock wave
kicks the boat up.
431
00:26:09,969 --> 00:26:11,468
Then the boat falls back down.
432
00:26:11,470 --> 00:26:14,638
You can literally see the weight
of the cargo in the air,
433
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:16,273
but then the bubble rises
434
00:26:16,275 --> 00:26:18,676
and throws the boat
way up in the air,
435
00:26:18,678 --> 00:26:20,110
and then it literally just falls
436
00:26:20,112 --> 00:26:22,346
right through the hole
created in the water.
437
00:26:24,617 --> 00:26:30,654
It is less than a second
this whole thing transpires.
438
00:26:30,656 --> 00:26:35,292
Narrator:
Just 15 ounces of dry ice is
enough to sink a 3-foot model.
439
00:26:37,530 --> 00:26:40,731
But how much methane ice does it
take to sink a large ship
440
00:26:40,733 --> 00:26:44,935
sailing through
the bermuda triangle?
441
00:26:44,937 --> 00:26:46,604
If we were to scale this up,
442
00:26:46,606 --> 00:26:48,572
you'd only need about
as much methane
443
00:26:48,574 --> 00:26:51,742
as the size of a container
to do the same thing
444
00:26:51,744 --> 00:26:53,644
on a full-size cargo vessel.
445
00:26:56,215 --> 00:27:00,718
Narrator:
The bermuda triangle may conceal
a minefield of methane ice.
446
00:27:03,055 --> 00:27:04,888
It's not a big deal
for this amount of methane
447
00:27:04,890 --> 00:27:06,223
to be in one spot.
448
00:27:06,225 --> 00:27:07,558
These methane clathrates
449
00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:10,461
could literally be
ticking time bombs of bubbles
450
00:27:10,463 --> 00:27:14,198
just bursting out
from under the oceans.
451
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:18,002
Narrator:
But it's not just shipping
that's under threat.
452
00:27:18,004 --> 00:27:21,805
Could deadly methane ice also
explain the dozens of aircraft
453
00:27:21,807 --> 00:27:24,141
that go missing
in the bermuda triangle?
454
00:27:28,147 --> 00:27:31,148
Just 8 gallons of methane ice
455
00:27:31,150 --> 00:27:35,052
can release over 1,000 gallons
of gas into the ocean.
456
00:27:38,324 --> 00:27:40,257
When the gas erupts
at the surface
457
00:27:40,259 --> 00:27:44,662
and mixes with the air,
it causes dangerous turbulence.
458
00:27:49,201 --> 00:27:52,336
And when methane floods
a plane's engines,
459
00:27:52,338 --> 00:27:58,075
it can snuff out combustion,
causing a deadly stall,
460
00:27:58,077 --> 00:28:04,081
or even worse, a spark from the
engine could ignite the methane.
461
00:28:04,083 --> 00:28:09,420
♪
462
00:28:09,422 --> 00:28:12,456
what happens to ships could
actually happen to airplanes
463
00:28:12,458 --> 00:28:16,060
if they're flying low enough
to the sea surface.
464
00:28:16,062 --> 00:28:18,462
Narrator:
Methane-ice explosions
may explain
465
00:28:18,464 --> 00:28:23,634
why some vessels in the triangle
can vanish without a trace.
466
00:28:23,636 --> 00:28:25,969
This is the perfect scenario
467
00:28:25,971 --> 00:28:29,973
because we don't ever have signs
of any s.O.S. Distress calls,
468
00:28:29,975 --> 00:28:34,578
and this points that
it would be literally gone.
469
00:28:34,580 --> 00:28:35,979
Narrator:
But methane-hydrate ice
470
00:28:35,981 --> 00:28:40,250
only exists in pockets
of the atlantic ocean.
471
00:28:40,252 --> 00:28:44,521
It can't explain every
strange disappearance.
472
00:28:44,523 --> 00:28:47,257
Today scientists continue
to investigate nature's
473
00:28:47,259 --> 00:28:51,562
most violent
and destructive phenomena
474
00:28:51,564 --> 00:28:54,531
and freak atmospheric events
that may be responsible
475
00:28:54,533 --> 00:28:57,367
for numerous disappearances
in the triangle.
476
00:29:06,612 --> 00:29:09,413
Narrator:
The bermuda triangle...
477
00:29:09,415 --> 00:29:12,249
It's said to have claimed
over 1,000 victims
478
00:29:12,251 --> 00:29:14,318
since the mid-19th century...
479
00:29:16,756 --> 00:29:19,123
...But is the triangle
still a threat?
480
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:26,797
September 2015,
the s.S. El faro,
481
00:29:26,799 --> 00:29:30,067
a 790-foot cargo ship
with 33 crew,
482
00:29:30,069 --> 00:29:34,705
sails from jacksonville,
florida, bound for puerto rico.
483
00:29:34,707 --> 00:29:36,573
As the vessel steams south,
484
00:29:36,575 --> 00:29:39,910
hurricane joaquin gathers
strength in the atlantic.
485
00:29:42,581 --> 00:29:46,150
The el faro's captain charts
a course to avoid the storm...
486
00:29:49,822 --> 00:29:52,890
...But less than 48 hours
into the voyage,
487
00:29:52,892 --> 00:29:54,725
things suddenly go wrong.
488
00:29:57,263 --> 00:30:00,731
The ship takes on water
and lists to one side.
489
00:30:05,571 --> 00:30:07,738
In its engine room,
490
00:30:07,740 --> 00:30:11,475
its 30,000-horsepower
steam turbines are failing.
491
00:30:11,477 --> 00:30:16,547
♪
492
00:30:16,549 --> 00:30:18,782
with no power to its
propeller...
493
00:30:20,853 --> 00:30:24,521
...The el faro is left adrift
in the bermuda triangle...
494
00:30:26,792 --> 00:30:29,927
...As the hurricane
becomes even more powerful.
495
00:30:32,331 --> 00:30:36,700
All communications
from el faro are lost.
496
00:30:36,702 --> 00:30:40,370
The vessel vanishes
from the radar.
497
00:30:40,372 --> 00:30:42,039
What goes wrong?
498
00:30:45,211 --> 00:30:49,513
Oceanographer milan curcic works
at miami's hurricane lab.
499
00:30:51,684 --> 00:30:54,918
A category 4 hurricane
now rages.
500
00:30:56,922 --> 00:31:02,226
Milan wants to know
what creates a killer hurricane.
501
00:31:04,964 --> 00:31:07,898
That's still an unresolved
problem.
502
00:31:07,900 --> 00:31:10,400
When you have a hurricane,
you have these processes
503
00:31:10,402 --> 00:31:11,969
that are rarely observed.
504
00:31:11,971 --> 00:31:16,073
They're hard to measure, and
they're typically out of reach.
505
00:31:16,075 --> 00:31:18,108
Narrator:
At this state-of-the-art
facility,
506
00:31:18,110 --> 00:31:22,179
milan can create a hurricane in
a box with the flip of a switch.
507
00:31:25,918 --> 00:31:28,785
It allows him to investigate
hurricanes close up
508
00:31:28,787 --> 00:31:32,656
and study the transfer of energy
between winds and waves.
509
00:31:35,027 --> 00:31:39,396
Over water, the hurricane
wind whips up a rough sea,
510
00:31:39,398 --> 00:31:42,900
but ironically, it's also the
friction from the rough sea
511
00:31:42,902 --> 00:31:46,270
that weakens the hurricane.
512
00:31:46,272 --> 00:31:50,240
The only breaking mechanism is
really just mechanical friction,
513
00:31:50,242 --> 00:31:54,978
and that is how rough the ocean
becomes as winds pick up.
514
00:31:54,980 --> 00:31:57,014
Narrator:
Hurricane experts thought
this friction
515
00:31:57,016 --> 00:32:01,852
constantly increases
as hurricane winds gain speed.
516
00:32:01,854 --> 00:32:06,456
Basically, what we used to
believe is the drag simply,
517
00:32:06,458 --> 00:32:10,794
you know, keeps on increasing
with increasing wind speed.
518
00:32:10,796 --> 00:32:13,997
Narrator:
With this model, a hurricane
eventually weakens
519
00:32:13,999 --> 00:32:18,368
due to the friction its wind
generates on the sea surface,
520
00:32:18,370 --> 00:32:21,605
but there's a problem
because some hurricanes
521
00:32:21,607 --> 00:32:24,875
actually strengthen
despite the increased friction.
522
00:32:24,877 --> 00:32:30,113
♪
523
00:32:30,115 --> 00:32:34,084
now milan has solved the puzzle.
524
00:32:34,086 --> 00:32:36,520
Data from his experiments
reveal the model
525
00:32:36,522 --> 00:32:40,891
of how hurricanes intensify
is completely wrong.
526
00:32:40,893 --> 00:32:45,629
These data from the lab show us
that actually the roughness
527
00:32:45,631 --> 00:32:47,831
doesn't keep increasing
with wind speed
528
00:32:47,833 --> 00:32:53,270
but tapers off
at this critical point.
529
00:32:53,272 --> 00:32:57,574
Narrator: What causes this
critical loss of friction?
530
00:32:57,576 --> 00:33:01,044
Could the answer help explain
the disappearance of el faro
531
00:33:01,046 --> 00:33:03,213
and other ships
in the triangle?
532
00:33:05,517 --> 00:33:08,952
Milan analyzes high-speed
footage of his own hurricane
533
00:33:08,954 --> 00:33:12,356
and unearths a clue.
534
00:33:12,358 --> 00:33:15,125
Curcic:
Spray in the air and bubbles
in the water
535
00:33:15,127 --> 00:33:19,896
makes the transition
from water to air smoother.
536
00:33:19,898 --> 00:33:23,133
Narrator:
Milan believes small bubbles
and tiny droplets of water
537
00:33:23,135 --> 00:33:27,070
can help smooth out
the ocean surface.
538
00:33:27,072 --> 00:33:29,639
Kind of like a smooth blanket
539
00:33:29,641 --> 00:33:32,909
of mixed water bubbles
and spray,
540
00:33:32,911 --> 00:33:37,881
and that causes a decrease
in the roughness.
541
00:33:37,883 --> 00:33:41,618
Narrator:
With less friction, a hurricane
rapidly gains in power.
542
00:33:45,858 --> 00:33:49,760
As el faro flounders...
543
00:33:49,762 --> 00:33:52,195
The hurricane becomes a killer.
544
00:33:55,034 --> 00:33:58,268
Current research suggests
that el faro has likely been
545
00:33:58,270 --> 00:34:03,874
caught in category 3 hurricane
winds going up to category 4.
546
00:34:08,347 --> 00:34:11,148
Narrator:
30 days after
el faro's disappearance,
547
00:34:11,150 --> 00:34:16,386
a salvage ship discovers
the vessel 15,000 feet
548
00:34:16,388 --> 00:34:18,321
down at the bottom of the ocean.
549
00:34:21,493 --> 00:34:26,696
The search team retrieves
the el faro's data recorder.
550
00:34:26,698 --> 00:34:30,600
It reveals further vital clues
to the ship's tragic end.
551
00:34:35,107 --> 00:34:39,142
It all starts with a hatch
the crew forgets to close,
552
00:34:39,144 --> 00:34:41,978
so now water
can seep into the cargo hold.
553
00:34:45,651 --> 00:34:49,453
Here, cars break free
on wet decks
554
00:34:49,455 --> 00:34:53,523
and smash through a water pipe,
flooding the hold.
555
00:34:56,161 --> 00:34:58,662
As the ship leans over,
556
00:34:58,664 --> 00:35:02,899
its water-filled belly pushes
the vessel into an extreme list.
557
00:35:07,339 --> 00:35:11,341
And in the machine room,
oil drains away from the engine,
558
00:35:11,343 --> 00:35:13,310
which comes to a grinding halt.
559
00:35:16,648 --> 00:35:20,417
With no power,
el faro is left adrift
560
00:35:20,419 --> 00:35:22,219
just as the storm it sets course
561
00:35:22,221 --> 00:35:25,489
to avoid intensifies
into a killer hurricane...
562
00:35:25,491 --> 00:35:30,827
♪
563
00:35:30,829 --> 00:35:34,664
...But one mystery
remains unsolved.
564
00:35:34,666 --> 00:35:39,436
Why does hurricane joaquin
suddenly change course?
565
00:35:39,438 --> 00:35:41,705
It makes a beeline
for el faro as
566
00:35:41,707 --> 00:35:45,742
if it has a personal vendetta
against the ship.
567
00:35:45,744 --> 00:35:50,213
Joaquin provided a number
of surprises for the forecasters
568
00:35:50,215 --> 00:35:53,517
both in terms of the track
and in terms of the intensity.
569
00:35:55,454 --> 00:35:58,421
Narrator: Hurricane specialist
james franklin is a consultant
570
00:35:58,423 --> 00:36:02,959
to the official investigation
into the sinking of the el faro.
571
00:36:02,961 --> 00:36:05,896
He wants to understand why
joaquin dramatically changes
572
00:36:05,898 --> 00:36:08,865
its forecast path
to head straight for the ship.
573
00:36:11,303 --> 00:36:14,905
The initial forecast for joaquin
had it moving off to the west
574
00:36:14,907 --> 00:36:16,806
and then to the northwest.
575
00:36:16,808 --> 00:36:19,342
It didn't do that at all,
though.
576
00:36:19,344 --> 00:36:22,245
Narrator:
James believes joaquin's path
is so unusual
577
00:36:22,247 --> 00:36:24,080
because of the multiple
weather systems
578
00:36:24,082 --> 00:36:26,616
that surround the hurricane.
579
00:36:26,618 --> 00:36:29,386
Franklin:
With joaquin, the winds
at the bottom
580
00:36:29,388 --> 00:36:32,222
are blowing very differently
than the winds at the top,
581
00:36:32,224 --> 00:36:34,424
and so a forecaster then
has to figure out,
582
00:36:34,426 --> 00:36:39,296
well, which of those winds
is going to prevail.
583
00:36:39,298 --> 00:36:41,898
Narrator:
El faro's captain believes
he's charted a course
584
00:36:41,900 --> 00:36:44,601
south of the hurricane.
585
00:36:44,603 --> 00:36:47,771
Instead, he steams
straight towards it.
586
00:36:47,773 --> 00:36:50,974
Joaquin was moving further
south than forecast,
587
00:36:50,976 --> 00:36:55,245
basically cutting off
that particular path.
588
00:36:59,084 --> 00:37:03,787
Narrator: Joaquin overwhelms
and sinks the ship.
589
00:37:03,789 --> 00:37:07,691
The captain and his entire crew
of 32 men drown.
590
00:37:11,597 --> 00:37:16,600
The bermuda triangle is the
hurricane capital of the world.
591
00:37:16,602 --> 00:37:18,468
Rapidly intensifying hurricanes
592
00:37:18,470 --> 00:37:20,870
veering off
their predicted path,
593
00:37:20,872 --> 00:37:22,439
could account
for the disappearance
594
00:37:22,441 --> 00:37:24,207
of scores of ships.
595
00:37:26,979 --> 00:37:28,578
And now there's evidence
596
00:37:28,580 --> 00:37:31,248
of an even stranger
weather phenomenon.
597
00:37:39,758 --> 00:37:43,827
Narrator:
The bermuda triangle,
an area of the atlantic ocean
598
00:37:43,829 --> 00:37:47,497
where numerous planes
and ships mysteriously vanish...
599
00:37:50,202 --> 00:37:53,370
...Now there's evidence
of a rare atmospheric event
600
00:37:53,372 --> 00:37:56,673
which can send planes
plummeting to their doom.
601
00:37:56,675 --> 00:37:59,776
Berichi:
It is extremely hazardous
to aircraft.
602
00:37:59,778 --> 00:38:03,013
It's not an easy thing
to get out of.
603
00:38:03,015 --> 00:38:05,882
Narrator: Pilot charlie berichi
investigates the strangest
604
00:38:05,884 --> 00:38:08,718
weather phenomenon of them all.
605
00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:10,987
It's so unusual that,
until recently,
606
00:38:10,989 --> 00:38:13,523
scientists deny it even exists.
607
00:38:16,128 --> 00:38:19,863
It's called a microburst.
608
00:38:19,865 --> 00:38:22,932
Microbursts form when dry air
mixes with rain
609
00:38:22,934 --> 00:38:25,902
from a thundercloud.
610
00:38:25,904 --> 00:38:28,305
This creates a column
of cold air,
611
00:38:28,307 --> 00:38:30,340
which sinks and plummets
to the ground
612
00:38:30,342 --> 00:38:34,978
at speeds of up to
100 miles per hour,
613
00:38:34,980 --> 00:38:37,414
but can a microburst
down an aircraft
614
00:38:37,416 --> 00:38:39,416
in the bermuda triangle?
615
00:38:39,418 --> 00:38:41,151
It's a very moist environment.
616
00:38:41,153 --> 00:38:44,087
It's a very hot environment,
a lot of hot air rising,
617
00:38:44,089 --> 00:38:47,757
a lot of thunderstorm activity,
so it's possible that aircraft
618
00:38:47,759 --> 00:38:52,262
may have entered a microburst
in that region.
619
00:38:52,264 --> 00:38:54,764
Narrator:
At southcoast simulation
pilot academy,
620
00:38:54,766 --> 00:38:57,467
charlie uses a flight
simulator to investigate
621
00:38:57,469 --> 00:39:00,036
if a microburst
can crash a plane.
622
00:39:03,809 --> 00:39:08,345
A microburst is programmed
into the simulation.
623
00:39:08,347 --> 00:39:11,781
Charlie is flying
at 1,500 feet when it hits.
624
00:39:11,783 --> 00:39:13,016
Oh, and there's
the wind shear.
625
00:39:13,018 --> 00:39:14,451
Autopilot is
coming off.
626
00:39:14,453 --> 00:39:17,687
Positive rate,
gear up.
627
00:39:17,689 --> 00:39:22,292
Planes hit by microbursts first
fly into a strong headwind,
628
00:39:22,294 --> 00:39:25,528
then a downdraft,
followed by a strong tailwind.
629
00:39:27,532 --> 00:39:29,666
Now we're getting
a downdraft.
630
00:39:29,668 --> 00:39:32,569
This is not
a wussy maneuver.
631
00:39:32,571 --> 00:39:35,972
The plane is robbed of lift.
632
00:39:35,974 --> 00:39:40,110
It can stall and nosedive.
633
00:39:40,112 --> 00:39:42,045
Charlie has to take
immediate action
634
00:39:42,047 --> 00:39:44,481
to avert disaster.
635
00:39:44,483 --> 00:39:45,882
Flaps are going to go
to 10 speed.
636
00:39:45,884 --> 00:39:47,884
Brakes are stowed,
and there we are.
637
00:39:47,886 --> 00:39:49,853
That was our
maximum-performance climb,
638
00:39:49,855 --> 00:39:51,721
and now we're
out of it.
639
00:39:51,723 --> 00:39:54,224
Charlie's quick thinking
and practiced response
640
00:39:54,226 --> 00:39:56,960
means he can outfly
the microburst.
641
00:39:59,264 --> 00:40:01,698
But if it hits
without warning,
642
00:40:01,700 --> 00:40:04,567
the outcome could be
very different.
643
00:40:04,569 --> 00:40:05,735
Berichi:
We were expecting it,
644
00:40:05,737 --> 00:40:07,537
so we didn't have
that human factor today
645
00:40:07,539 --> 00:40:11,775
where we had
5-to-10-second delay of a panic
646
00:40:11,777 --> 00:40:13,576
or a uncertainty
of what to do,
647
00:40:13,578 --> 00:40:19,315
so what we did today might not
work out in the real world.
648
00:40:19,317 --> 00:40:22,652
Narrator:
According to charlie,
microbursts may be responsible
649
00:40:22,654 --> 00:40:25,822
for downing numerous planes
in the bermuda triangle.
650
00:40:27,859 --> 00:40:32,495
Berichi: It's an extreme hazard,
and it's a killer of aircraft.
651
00:40:32,497 --> 00:40:34,798
Microbursts have occurred
in the bermuda triangle,
652
00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:36,933
and aircrafts
have disappeared in there,
653
00:40:36,935 --> 00:40:41,438
and that might be the cause for
why they were never discovered.
654
00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:44,774
Narrator:
It's impossible to know for sure
how many planes have been hit
655
00:40:44,776 --> 00:40:47,310
by a microburst
in the bermuda triangle.
656
00:40:49,815 --> 00:40:52,982
The evidence lies at the bottom
of the atlantic ocean.
657
00:40:52,984 --> 00:41:00,089
♪
658
00:41:00,091 --> 00:41:03,159
the bermuda triangle has
mystified both experts
659
00:41:03,161 --> 00:41:11,267
and the public for decades,
but massive killer rogue waves,
660
00:41:11,269 --> 00:41:14,904
extreme methane-hydrate
blowouts,
661
00:41:14,906 --> 00:41:21,678
and violent microbursts
have proved to be all too real.
662
00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:25,081
Advances in our understanding
of mother nature's extreme
663
00:41:25,083 --> 00:41:28,485
and terrifying forces
may one day reveal
664
00:41:28,487 --> 00:41:31,387
all of the bermuda
triangle's secrets.
665
00:41:31,389 --> 00:41:39,596
♪
666
00:41:39,598 --> 00:41:47,871
♪
667
00:41:47,873 --> 00:41:56,112
♪
668
00:41:56,114 --> 00:42:04,420
♪
61734
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