Unearthed (2016–…): Season 7, Episode 2 - Draining the Bermuda Triangle - full transcript

Narrator: THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE,
AN AREA OFF THE FLORIDA COAST

MADE FAMOUS
FOR THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

OF SHIPS AND PLANES.

Ditty: NORMALLY, YOU WOULD FIND
A LIFE VEST,

A LIFE PRESERVER OR SOMETHING,
BUT NOT A TRACE.

Narrator: HERE,
ENGINES AND INSTRUMENTS GO HAYWIRE.

PILOTS AND CAPTAINS GET LOST,

AND PASSENGERS AND CREW
ARE NEVER SEEN AGAIN.

Pepper: THERE MUST BE
SOME REALLY POWERFUL

AND TERRIFYING FORCES INVOLVED.

Narrator: NOW INVESTIGATORS
UNRAVEL THE REAL



AND TERRIFYING FORCES AT PLAY.

GEEZ!

LOOK AT THAT!

TO SOLVE THIS MYSTERY, WE DIVE
DEEP INTO THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE,

DIGITALLY DECONSTRUCT
THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCES

TO REVEAL A HIDDEN WORLD...

...AND AN EXTRAORDINARY
LANDSCAPE LIKE NO OTHER,

AND UNRAVEL THE CURSE
OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

?

UNEARTHED - SEASON 7
EP - 2 - Draining the Bermuda Triangle

OFF THE EASTERN SEABOARD
OF THE UNITED STATES

IS AN AREA KNOWN
AS THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

ON AVERAGE, 4 PLANES
AND 20 SHIPS

ARE REPORTED TO GO MISSING
IN THIS REGION EVERY YEAR.



ITS VICTIMS VANISH
WITHOUT A TRACE.

THERE'S STILL THINGS
THAT ARE UNANSWERED.

WE STILL TODAY CONCLUSIVELY
AND DEFINITIVELY DON'T KNOW

WHAT HAPPENED WITH A WHOLE HOST
OF SHIPS AND AIRCRAFTS.

Narrator: THE TRIANGLE COVERS
1/2 MILLION SQUARE MILES OF OCEAN

STRETCHING BETWEEN BERMUDA,
MIAMI, AND PUERTO RICO.

IT'S A GRAVEYARD OF LOST WRECKS.

AMONG ITS VICTIMS,
THE U.S.S. CYCLOPS,

A HUGE FREIGHTER THAT DISAPPEARS
UNDER MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES;

FLIGHT 19, FIVE BOMBERS
THAT VANISH INTO THIN AIR;

AND MOST RECENTLY EL FARO,

A CARGO SHIP LOST AT SEA
WITH NO SURVIVORS.

WHAT MAKES THIS EMPTY PATCH
OF OCEAN SO DEADLY?

FLYING IN THE BAHAMAS
ON A WEEKLY BASIS,

IT SITS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND,
FLIGHT 19 AND OTHER AIRCRAFT

AND SHIPS
THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED IN THERE.

Narrator: AVIATOR CHARLIE
BERICHI IS FASCINATED

BY THE MYSTERIES
OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

HE INVESTIGATES ONE OF THE
TRIANGLE'S MOST FAMOUS

INCIDENTS...
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF FLIGHT 19.

THERE'S NOT A SHRED OF EVIDENCE
SUGGESTING WHERE THEY WENT DOWN,

NO SHRED OF EVIDENCE
AS FAR AS AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE.

Narrator:
WINTER OF 1945, FLIGHT 19,

A SQUADRON OF U.S.
AIR FORCE TBM AVENGERS,

FLY OUT OF
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA.

ITS FIVE PILOTS AND NINE CREWMEN
ARE ON A ROUTINE

NAVIGATION-AND-COMBAT
TRAINING MISSION.

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF,
THINGS START TO GO WRONG.

AS THE PLANES FLY OVER
THE WESTERN CORNER

OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE...

...THEIR TWIN COMPASSES
SUDDENLY STOP WORKING.

DISORIENTED AND UNABLE
TO NAVIGATE,

THE CREW NOW LOOKS FOR LANDMARKS
TO GUIDE THEM HOME.

THE FLIGHT LEADER SPOTS
A GROUP OF ISLANDS

THAT HE IDENTIFIES
AS THE FLORIDA KEYS.

HE CHANGES COURSE BASED
ON THIS LANDMARK,

AND HIS TRAINEE PILOTS
FOLLOW HIM.

ALL FIVE PLANES VANISH.

SEARCHING FOR CLUES, CHARLIE
FLIES INTO THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

THIS IS WHERE THE TROUBLE
STARTED.

FLYING OVER OPEN WATERS, YOU CAN
SEE THERE'S NOTHING OUTSIDE

RIGHT NOW TO USE AS A LANDMARK,

AND IT WOULD DEFINITELY
BE HAZARDOUS

IF YOU HAD YOUR COMPASS GO OUT.

Narrator: FROM HIS COCKPIT,
CHARLIE THINKS FLIGHT 19's LEADER

MAKES A MISTAKE
IN HIS IDENTIFICATION

OF THE FLORIDA KEYS.

Berichi:
THESE AIRMEN WERE IN THE SAME

EXACT POSITION
WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW

WITH DETERIORATING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

AS THESE CUMULUS CLOUDS
BEGIN TO DEVOUR THE HORIZON,

HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH SIDE IS UP
AND WHICH SIDE IS DOWN?

Narrator: CHARLIE BELIEVES
THE FLIGHT LEADER IS CONFUSED

AND COMPLETELY LOST.

Berichi: IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

THERE'S NO WAY
THEY ENDED UP IN KEY WEST.

Narrator: IF THE PATROL ISN'T IN
THE FLORIDA KEYS, WHERE IS IT?

CHARLIE FLIES
ON SEARCHING FOR CLUES.

FORTY MINUTES LATER
AND OVER 200 MILES AWAY,

HE SPOTS A CHAIN OF ISLANDS
NORTH OF THE BAHAMAS

THAT BEARS A STRIKING
SIMILARITY TO THE KEYS.

THE GREAT ABACO ISLANDS
LOOKS LIKE KEY WEST.

I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW WHAT WE SEE
AHEAD OF US

KIND OF LOOKS LIKE KEY WEST
AS YOU START GOING SOUTHBOUND.

SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME
IN OUR INVESTIGATION,

I'M STARTING TO SEE
WHAT THEY SAW

AND HOW THIS COULD BECOME
EVEN MORE CONFUSING.

Narrator: IF CHARLIE IS RIGHT,
FLIGHT 19 IS IN TERRIBLE TROUBLE.

IT'S HOPELESSLY LOST
IN THE ATLANTIC

WITH THEIR FUEL RUNNING LOW.

?

HEY, DONNIE.

Narrator:
BACK SAFELY ON THE GROUND,

CHARLIE WORKS WITH FELLOW PILOT

DONNIE DITTY TO INVESTIGATE
HIS THEORY THAT

FLIGHT 19 MISTAKES ITS POSITION

AND FLIES
IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

DONNIE IS A RETIRED U.S. ARMY
ATTACK HELICOPTER PILOT

WITH OVER HALF A CENTURY
OF FLYING EXPERIENCE.

Ditty: THE REAL QUESTION IS,
WHERE IS FLIGHT 19 RIGHT NOW?

WHERE DID IT GO DOWN?

Narrator: PLOTTING ITS FLIGHT
PATH FROM THE ABACO ISLANDS

WHERE IT GETS LOST,

DONNIE AND CHARLIE PIECE
TOGETHER WHAT COULD BE

FLIGHT 19's FINAL MOMENTS.

Ditty:
THEY FLEW A COURSE OF 091.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
ROUGHLY 26 MINUTES.

Narrator: BECAUSE THE FLIGHT
LEADER BELIEVES

THE SQUADRON
IS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS,

THEY FLY NORTHEAST
TO GET BACK TO FORT LAUDERDALE.

Ditty: SOMEWHERE
AROUND 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT,

HE ESTABLISHED
A NORTHEAST HEADING.

Narrator: BUT IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY
OVER THE ABACO ISLANDS,

THEY'RE FLYING
FURTHER OUT TO SEA.

IF HE HAD 3 MORE HOURS OF FUEL,

HE WOULD HAVE GONE ROUGHLY 400
MILES INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC.

Narrator: DONNIE BELIEVES
FLIGHT 19 RUNS OUT OF FUEL

AND DITCHES IN THE OCEAN.

PROBABLY IN A FEW HOURS,

THEY WERE ALL UNCONSCIOUS.

Narrator: IF DONNIE AND CHARLIE ARE RIGHT,
THE LOCATION THE PLANES GO DOWN

AND SINK EXPLAINS WHY NO
WRECKAGE

HAS EVER BEEN RECOVERED.

Ditty: JUST A FEW MILES
OFF OF ABACO ISLAND,

THERE'S A SHEER CLIFF
THAT DROPS DOWN TO 15,000 FEET.

Narrator: THE PLANES ARE NOW
LOST IN THE ABYSS OF THE ATLANTIC.

WE'VE GOT POSSIBLE COMPASS
FAILURE, LOSING TRACK OF TIME.

WE'VE GOT POOR AIRMANSHIP.

I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT IT IS,
IT DID JUST DITCH

AND RUN OUT OF FUEL
IN THE NORTHEAST SIDE

OF THE ABACO ISLANDS
IN 15,000 FEET OF WATER.

Narrator: BUT THERE'S ANOTHER
UNSOLVED MYSTERY.

FOLLOWING
FLIGHT 19'S DISAPPEARANCE,

A PBM MARINER SEAPLANE
IS DISPATCHED

ON A SEARCH-AND-RESCUE MISSION.

IT, ALONG WITH ITS 13 CREW,
ALSO DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE.

THE MARINER IS PERFECT
FOR LONG SEARCHES.

IT HAS FIVE FUEL TANKS

THAT GIVE IT
A MASSIVE 3,000-MILE RANGE,

BUT SOME TANKS ARE LEAKY,

ALLOWING FUEL VAPORS
TO SPREAD THROUGH THE PLANE,

TURNING IT INTO A FLYING BOMB.

ON THAT FATEFUL NIGHT,

THE MARINER TAKES OFF
FROM FLORIDA.

IT PLANS TO FLY A SEARCH
PATTERN ACROSS THE BAHAMAS,

BUT JUST 20 MINUTES
AFTER TAKEOFF,

A PASSING SHIP SEES AN EXPLOSION

WITH FLAMES LEAPING 100 FEET
INTO THE AIR

RIGHT WHERE THE MARINER
GOES MISSING.

IT WAS SUCH A HORRIFIC
EXPLOSION.

THEY STILL TO THIS DAY
HAVEN'T FOUND ANY PART OF IT.

Narrator: THE LACK OF
WRECKAGE IS A COMMON FEATURE

OF MANY BERMUDA
TRIANGLE MYSTERIES,

BUT AT ITS NORTH CORNER HIDDEN
BENEATH THE WAVES OF BERMUDA,

THE EVIDENCE OF WRECKS
IS VERY REAL.

COULD UNEARTHING THE ISLAND
OF BERMUDA ITSELF

REVEAL MORE CLUES TO
THE TRIANGLE'S HIDDEN SECRETS?

Narrator: THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE,
A SECTION OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

THAT STRETCHES BETWEEN FLORIDA,
BERMUDA, AND PUERTO RICO,

IT CANNOT BE FOUND
ON ANY OFFICIAL MAP...

...BUT IT'S A PLACE WHERE SHIPS,
PLANES,

AND PEOPLE SIMPLY VANISH.

AT THE TRIANGLE'S NORTHERN APEX
IN THE BLUE WATERS OF BERMUDA,

MORE THAN 300 WRECKS FORM
A RING AROUND THE ISLANDS.

MANY OF THEIR HULLS
HAVE BEEN TORN APART,

FLOUNDERING ON THE HUGE CORAL
REEFS THAT SURROUND THE ATOLL.

THESE REEFS ARE FORMED
BY CORAL SKELETONS,

WHICH ARE ESSENTIALLY
JUST LITTLE ANIMALS THAT WANT

TO GROW AS CLOSE TO THE SURFACE
OF THE WATER AS POSSIBLE.

Narrator: BUT THESE REEFS
ARE CLEARLY INDICATED ON MAPS.

SO WHAT LURES THE SHIPS
TO THEIR DOOM HERE?

BERMUDA IS AN IDYLLIC
ISLAND GROUP.

THE SEA'S SMOOTH SURFACE
CONCEALS AN ALIEN LANDSCAPE

SHAPED BY VOLCANIC FORCES.

SURROUNDING THE ISLANDS

ARE A HIDDEN BARRIER
OF JAGGED CORAL REEFS

MADE FROM RAZOR-SHARP LIMESTONE
CAPABLE OF TEARING A SHIP APART,

AND DEEPER DOWN HIDDEN INSIDE
AN UNDERWATER MOUNTAIN

IS A MYSTERIOUS IRON-RICH
SUBSTANCE CALLED MAGNETITE.

COULD THIS EXPLAIN WHY
THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

IS SO DANGEROUS?

WHEN YOU FORM IRON OXIDES,
OR ESSENTIALLY NATURE'S RUST,

AND YOU SUBJECT
THAT TO HIGH TEMPERATURES,

YOU FORM MAGNETITE,

AND THESE HIGH-TEMPERATURE
IRON-OXIDE CONDITIONS

EXIST HERE,

POTENTIALLY FORMING BILLIONS
OF TONS OF THIS STUFF OFFSHORE.

Narrator: GEOSCIENTIST DR. MARTIN
PEPPER BELIEVES MAGNETITE

MAY BE RESPONSIBLE
FOR BERMUDA'S WRECKS.

MAGNETITE IS THE MOST MAGNETIC

NATURALLY OCCURRING SUBSTANCE
IN THE WORLD,

BUT HOW IS A ROCK BURIED
BENEATH AN ISLAND

LURING SHIPS TO THEIR DOOM?

IF WE TAKE A HANDFUL
OF MAGNETITE

AND WE PUT OUR COMPASS
ON TOP OF THAT LIKE OUR SHIP

WOULD BE TRYING TO NAVIGATE
OVER A GIANT DEPOSIT,

YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE
THAT THE COMPASS NEEDLE

JUST SWINGS ROUND AND ROUND.

IF YOU DESPERATELY NEED TO KNOW
WHERE YOU'RE GOING

AND YOU DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC
BEARING, THAT MEANS TROUBLE.

Narrator: MARTIN WANTS TO KNOW IF
THE MAGNETITE BENEATH BERMUDA

HAS AN AFFECT
ON COMPASS READINGS.

USING A MAGNETOMETER,
HE TESTS THE STRENGTH

OF A SAMPLE OF MAGNETITE.

HERE WE GO.

WITH ABOUT A POUND OF MAGNETITE,
I'M GETTING ABOUT 12.4 GAUSS.

THAT'S ABOUT 40 TIMES
MORE POWERFUL

THAN THE AVERAGE
MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE EARTH.

Narrator: MARTIN DOES THE MATH.

MOST OF BERMUDA'S WRECKS LIE
ON A 65-FOOT VOLCANIC PLATEAU

AROUND THE ISLAND.

MAGNETIC FIELDS ARE ESSENTIALLY
A CUBIC FUNCTION,

SO FOR EVERY 2 FEET
YOU GO AWAY FROM IT,

IT DECREASES ITS STRENGTH
EIGHT TIMES,

SO YOU HAVE TO BE PRETTY CLOSE
TO THIS STUFF FOR IT

TO MESS WITH YOUR COMPASS.

Narrator: IT LEADS MARTIN
TO AN ASTONISHING CONCLUSION.

IF THE MAGNETITE LIES
BENEATH THE VOLCANIC PLATEAU,

THERE MUST BE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT
OF THE ROCK BENEATH BERMUDA.

IT MIGHT BE AS MUCH
AS 10 BILLION TONS.

IN THE SHALLOWS, THIS COULD
TOTALLY EXPLAIN

THOSE HUNDREDS OF SHIPWRECKS.

Narrator:
AS A SHIP SAILS TOWARD BERMUDA,

IT PASSES OVER THE ANCIENT
VOLCANO THAT FORMED THE ISLANDS.

THE MAGNETITE IN THE ROCKS

BENEATH COULD PULL THE SHIP'S
COMPASS OFF TRUE NORTH.

?

SO THE CAPTAIN MAY THINK THAT
BERMUDA'S REEFS ARE MILES AWAY

WHEN ACTUALLY HE IS
HEADING RIGHT FOR THEM.

IT'S A MISTAKE THAT SAILORS
MAKE THROUGH THE AGES,

TURNING THE WATERS AROUND
BERMUDA INTO A SHIP'S GRAVEYARD.

IMAGINE BEING OUT TO SEA
WITH NO LAND IN SIGHT.

IN CALM WATERS IS
WHEN THE DANGER BEGINS.

Narrator:
BERMUDA'S TREACHEROUS REEFS

AND ITS COMPASS-BENDING
MAGNETITE

ARE A LETHAL COMBINATION
FOR UNSUSPECTING SAILORS.

LOSE YOUR COMPASS, AND YOU
COULD EASILY HIT ONE OF THESE.

Narrator: BUT BERMUDA ONLY FORMS
ONE TIP OF THE VAST TRIANGLE.

WHAT STRANGE FORCES EXPLAIN
OTHER SHIPS SUNK

BENEATH THE WAVES
OF THESE DEADLY WATERS?

Narrator: THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE,
A STRETCH OF SEA OFF AMERICA'S EAST COAST

WHERE PEOPLE, PLANES, AND SHIPS

ARE SAID
TO MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEAR.

IN MARCH 1918,
THE U.S.S. CYCLOPS,

A MASSIVE COAL FREIGHTER,

STEAMS OUT OF BARBADOS
HEADED FOR BALTIMORE.

THE SHIP, ALONG WITH
ITS PASSENGERS AND CREW,

VANISH, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

CYCLOPS' ROUTE TAKES IT
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN EDGE

OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

HIDDEN BENEATH THE OCEAN HERE

IS A GIGANTIC TRENCH
5 MILES DEEP,

60 MILES WIDE,
AND 1,000 MILES LONG.

IT'S THE DEEPEST POINT
IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN,

AND CYCLOPS IS NOT
ITS ONLY VICTIM.

IN 1941, HER TWO SISTER SHIPS
ALSO GO MISSING HERE.

IT'S A REMARKABLE COINCIDENCE,
BUT HOW COULD A TRENCH,

HOWEVER DEEP,
POSSIBLY SINK A SHIP?

OCEANOGRAPHERS LIKE TO SAY
WE KNOW THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN

LESS WELL THAN WE KNOW
THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

Narrator: MARINE SCIENTIST
BRIAN HAUS IS INVESTIGATING

HOW THE CYCLOPS MAY HAVE ENDED
UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRENCH.

HE HEADS UP THE SUSTAIN LAB

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI'S
ROSENSTIEL SCHOOL OF MARINE

AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE.

IT'S A UNIQUE FACILITY THAT CAN
CREATE FREAK WEATHER CONDITIONS.

AT THE TIME CYCLOPS SETS SAIL,

THERE ARE NO REPORTS
OF STORMY WEATHER,

BUT BRIAN SUSPECTS THE SHIP
IS HIT BY A RARE PHENOMENON

THAT UNTIL RECENTLY
IS CONSIDERED A MYTH...

ROGUE WAVES.

Haus: THEY ARE A REALITY
ON THE SURFACE,

AND THEY DO OCCUR A LOT MORE
FREQUENTLY THAN WE THINK.

Narrator:
ROGUE WAVES ARE NORMALLY FORMED

WHEN SWELLS TRAVEL ACROSS
THE OCEAN AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS.

WHEN THESE SWELLS PASS
OVER EACH OTHER,

THEIR CRESTS AND TROUGHS
CAN COINCIDE AND INTENSIFY,

CREATING WALLS OF WATER
THAT CAN REACH 100 FEET.

Haus: WHEN TWO OF THESE WAVES
COME TOGETHER, THEY ADD UP.

THAT CREATES A VERY LARGE WAVE
AT THAT LOCATION.

Narrator: IS THE CYCLOPS STRUCK
BY A ROGUE WAVE?

BRIAN SUSPECTS ROGUE WAVES
MAY OCCUR NATURALLY ABOVE

THE PUERTO RICO TRENCH,
WHERE THE CYCLOPS IS HEADING.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE TRENCH HAS
A UNIQUE UNDERWATER LANDSCAPE

THAT TURNS ORDINARY WAVES
INTO KILLERS.

STRANGELY, IT'S NOT
THE TRENCH'S IMMENSE DEPTH

THAT CREATES
THE KILLER ROGUE WAVES,

IT'S THE TRENCH'S SHALLOW AREAS.

Haus: IT'S GOT TO BE SHALLOW
ENOUGH THAT THE WAVES

WILL ACTUALLY FEEL THE BOTTOM

AND THEN HAVING
THIS SHARP TOPOGRAPHY.

Narrator: BRIAN'S STUDY OF ROGUE
WAVES REVEALS THEY OCCUR

IN SHALLOW WATERS
WHERE THE LENGTH OF THE WAVE

CLOSELY MATCHES
THE WATER'S DEPTH.

HE SEARCHES THE PUERTO RICO
TRENCH FOR THESE DANGER ZONES.

Haus:
THIS AREA OF THE MONA TROUGH,

THIS AREA UP OVER HERE
BY THE NAVIDAD BANK,

AND THEN AGAIN OVER OFF
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

IN THESE TRENCHES OVER HERE,

THE WAVES ARE INTERACTING
AS THEY COME UP

ONTO THE REALLY SHALLOW WATERS
ON THE SIDES OF THE BANKS.

Narrator: BRIAN IDENTIFIES
SEVERAL AREAS IN THE TRENCH

THAT COULD CREATE
MONSTER ROGUE WAVES,

BUT COULD THE CYCLOPS SURVIVE
THE IMPACT WITH SUCH A WAVE?

BRIAN AND HIS TEAM USE
A MODEL OF THE SHIP TO FIND OUT.

Haus: SO RIGHT NOW MY TEAM
IS IN THE TANK,

AND THEY'RE GETTING THE BOAT
READY TO HAVE IT

GET HIT BY THE WAVES.

Narrator: THE TEAM FIRST SIMULATES
A STANDARD WAVE PATTERN.

THE SHIP EASILY RIDES THE WAVES.

Haus: YOU SEE THAT THE BOAT
IS JUST BOBBING UP AND DOWN

WITHOUT HAVING ANY ISSUE
IN THAT WAVE FIELD.

Narrator: NEXT,
THE TEAM SIMULATES A ROGUE WAVE.

Haus: OKAY, SO NOW WE SEE WE'VE
STARTED THIS GROUP OF WAVES

THAT ARE GOING TO COME TOGETHER.

THE SHORTEST WAVES
ARE COMING FIRST.

THE BOAT IS HANDLING THAT OKAY.

WE SEE THE LARGER WAVE
COMING UP,

AND THEN, WOW, IT JUST BROKE,

AND THAT SHIP
JUST WENT RIGHT DOWN.

Narrator:
THE MODEL SHIP IS OVERWHELMED.

Haus: YOU SCALE IT WOULD BE
EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT A 90-FOOT-HIGH WAVE,

WHICH BREAKING IS JUST
A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY.

Narrator: THE CHANGING
DEPTH OF THE SEAFLOOR

CAN TRIGGER A ROGUE WAVE

ON THE SURFACE
TOWERING UP TO 90 FEET TALL.

TRAVELING AT 75 MILES AN HOUR,

IT STRIKES CYCLOPS
WITHOUT WARNING,

LEAVING NO TIME FOR AN S.O.S.,
AND THE TRENCH HERE IS SO DEEP

THAT THE WRECK SINKS
TO OBLIVION,

NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.

23 YEARS LATER,

HER TWO SISTER SHIPS
SAIL IN THE SAME WATERS

AND MAY SUFFER THE SAME FATE.

BRIAN BELIEVES A ROGUE WAVE
IS A SOLUTION

TO A 100-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY.

Haus: THE U.S.S. CYCLOPS
COULD'VE BEEN HIT BY A ROGUE WAVE.

IT'S IN AN AREA WHERE THESE
ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR,

AND IT'S VERY CONSISTENT

WITH THE AVAILABLE
EVIDENCE IN THIS CASE.

Narrator: TODAY, THE CYCLOPS
LIES SOMEWHERE ON THE SEABED.

NOW RESEARCHERS
ARE INVESTIGATING

A STRANGE ALIEN-LIKE SUBSTANCE

THAT LIES BENEATH
THE OCEAN BEDROCK,

ONE THAT MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
OTHER UNEXPLAINED DISAPPEARANCES

IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

Narrator: THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE...
A DEADLY PATCH OF OCEAN

THAT CLAIMS THE LIVES
OF THOUSANDS.

IN A LOT OF THESE CASES,
THERE'S NO DISTRESS CALLS,

NO SIGN OF WRECKAGE, NOTHING.

Narrator:
NOW SCIENTISTS ARE INVESTIGATING

A STRANGE ALIEN-LIKE SUBSTANCE
ON THE OCEAN FLOOR

THAT SOME BELIEVE CAN SWALLOW
ENTIRE SHIPS WITHOUT WARNING.

THE WATERS OF THE BERMUDA
TRIANGLE

HIDE AN EXPLOSIVE DANGER.

BURIED JUST BELOW THE SEAFLOOR
LIE

IMMENSE ICE
DOMES OF METHANE HYDRATE,

METHANE GAS TRAPPED
IN WATER FROZEN SOLID

BY CRUSHING PRESSURE
AND ICY TEMPERATURES.

BUT THE ICE CRYSTALS
ARE UNSTABLE,

SO IF THEY'RE DISTURBED,

THEY CAN COLLAPSE AND RELEASE
THE GAS IN A HUGE ERUPTION.

COULD THESE MONSTER BUBBLES
HAVE THE POWER TO SINK A SHIP?

WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE METHANE MOLECULE,

IT IS ONE OF THE WEIRDEST
SOLIDS YOU'VE EVER SEEN

BECAUSE IT LITERALLY TAKES ICE,
MERGES IT WITH METHANE,

AND YOU CAN STORE UP TO 80 TIMES
THE VOLUME OF METHANE GAS

LOCKED INTO THIS ICE.

Narrator: GEOSCIENTIST
DR. MARTIN PEPPER SUSPECTS

THAT METHANE-HYDRATE ICE

MAY EXPLAIN THE DISAPPEARANCE
OF DOZENS OF SHIPS

IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

METHANE ICE FORMS
IN VERY DEEP OR VERY COLD WATER

WHERE MICROBES IN THE CLAY
SEDIMENT PRODUCE METHANE GAS,

BUT THE REAL PROBLEM
IS WHEN THE METHANE

IS TRAPPED BENEATH THE SEABED,

AND THE GAS BUILDS
OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

AS THE METHANE DEEP BELOW
IT TRIES TO BOIL OUT,

THAT PRESSURE IS HELD IN UNTIL
FINALLY THAT CLAY CAN'T TAKE IT

AND THEN...

Narrator:
BUT CAN A METHANE-ICE BLOWOUT

IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE
SINK A SHIP?

Pepper:
THE PROBLEM IS, AS SCIENTISTS,

WE DON'T KNOW
HOW MUCH IS DOWN THERE,

BUT THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE HERE
IS NOT IMMUNE,

AND WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT.

Narrator: MARTIN CONDUCTS
AN EXPERIMENT TO INVESTIGATE.

HE FILLS A 70-OUNCE BOTTLE

WITH 15 OUNCES
OF DRY CARBON-DIOXIDE ICE.

Pepper: WE'RE USING DRY ICE,
WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY

JUST THE SOLID FORM
OF CARBON DIOXIDE,

AND WE'RE USING THAT
FOR SAFETY PURPOSES

BECAUSE WE WANT TO BUILD
PRESSURE TO EXPLODE THE BOTTLE,

BUT WE DON'T WANT
THE FLAMMABILITY

THAT WE HAVE IN METHANE.

THESE BOTTLES TYPICALLY RUPTURE
AT ABOUT 200 TO 300 PSI.

THAT IS A HUGE AMOUNT
OF PRESSURE,

WHICH ALSO GIVES US
A LARGE VOLUME OF AIR

COMING TO THE SURFACE.

Narrator: MARTIN PLANS TO
RELEASE A LARGE BUBBLE

BENEATH A MODEL SHIP TO SIMULATE
A METHANE-ICE EXPLOSION

IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

TO REALLY TEASE OUT
WHAT HAPPENS,

I'VE PUT THESE LITTLE ACTION
CAMERAS ALL OVER EVERYTHING,

SO AFTER THE EXPERIMENT,

WE CAN BREAK IT DOWN
JUST LIKE A CRIME SCENE.

Narrator: MARTIN ADDS A LITTLE
WATER TO SPEED UP THE REACTION...

...AND THEN SEALS THE BOTTLE.

REALLY CINCH IT ON.

HE POSITIONS IT BENEATH
THE MODEL SHIP

AND WAITS FOR
THE PRESSURE TO BUILD.

Pepper: WE'RE STARTING TO SEE
SOME BUBBLES,

AND THAT'S BECAUSE
THE BOTTLE IS EXPANDING

AND FORCING IT
OUT OF THE FOAM UNDERNEATH.

THAT'S ALWAYS A SIGN
IT'S ABOUT TO GO OFF.

?

GEEZ!

LOOK AT THAT!

THAT WAS INSANE!

Narrator: THE EXPLOSION
RELEASES A HUGE BUBBLE

THAT SINKS THE MODEL
IN AN INSTANT.

MARTIN REVIEWS HIGH-SPEED
FOOTAGE OF THE EXPERIMENT.

THIS IS IMPRESSIVE BECAUSE
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE

THE SHOCK WAVE
KICKS THE BOAT UP.

THEN THE BOAT FALLS BACK DOWN.

YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE THE WEIGHT
OF THE CARGO IN THE AIR,

BUT THEN THE BUBBLE RISES

AND THROWS THE BOAT
WAY UP IN THE AIR,

AND THEN IT LITERALLY JUST FALLS

RIGHT THROUGH THE HOLE
CREATED IN THE WATER.

IT IS LESS THAN A SECOND
THIS WHOLE THING TRANSPIRES.

Narrator: JUST 15 OUNCES OF DRY ICE
IS ENOUGH TO SINK A 3-FOOT MODEL.

BUT HOW MUCH METHANE ICE DOES IT
TAKE TO SINK A LARGE SHIP

SAILING THROUGH
THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE?

IF WE WERE TO SCALE THIS UP,

YOU'D ONLY NEED ABOUT
AS MUCH METHANE

AS THE SIZE OF A CONTAINER
TO DO THE SAME THING

ON A FULL-SIZE CARGO VESSEL.

Narrator: THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE MAY
CONCEAL A MINEFIELD OF METHANE ICE.

IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL
FOR THIS AMOUNT OF METHANE

TO BE IN ONE SPOT.

THESE METHANE CLATHRATES

COULD LITERALLY BE
TICKING TIME BOMBS OF BUBBLES

JUST BURSTING OUT
FROM UNDER THE OCEANS.

Narrator: BUT IT'S NOT JUST
SHIPPING THAT'S UNDER THREAT.

COULD DEADLY METHANE ICE ALSO
EXPLAIN THE DOZENS OF AIRCRAFT

THAT GO MISSING
IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE?

JUST 8 GALLONS OF METHANE ICE

CAN RELEASE OVER 1,000 GALLONS
OF GAS INTO THE OCEAN.

WHEN THE GAS ERUPTS
AT THE SURFACE

AND MIXES WITH THE AIR,
IT CAUSES DANGEROUS TURBULENCE.

AND WHEN METHANE FLOODS
A PLANE'S ENGINES,

IT CAN SNUFF OUT COMBUSTION,
CAUSING A DEADLY STALL,

OR EVEN WORSE, A SPARK FROM THE
ENGINE COULD IGNITE THE METHANE.

?

WHAT HAPPENS TO SHIPS COULD
ACTUALLY HAPPEN TO AIRPLANES

IF THEY'RE FLYING LOW ENOUGH
TO THE SEA SURFACE.

Narrator: METHANE-ICE
EXPLOSIONS MAY EXPLAIN

WHY SOME VESSELS IN THE TRIANGLE
CAN VANISH WITHOUT A TRACE.

THIS IS THE PERFECT SCENARIO

BECAUSE WE DON'T EVER HAVE SIGNS
OF ANY S.O.S. DISTRESS CALLS,

AND THIS POINTS THAT
IT WOULD BE LITERALLY GONE.

Narrator:
BUT METHANE-HYDRATE ICE

ONLY EXISTS IN POCKETS
OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

IT CAN'T EXPLAIN EVERY
STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE.

TODAY SCIENTISTS CONTINUE
TO INVESTIGATE NATURE'S

MOST VIOLENT
AND DESTRUCTIVE PHENOMENA

AND FREAK ATMOSPHERIC EVENTS
THAT MAY BE RESPONSIBLE

FOR NUMEROUS DISAPPEARANCES
IN THE TRIANGLE.

Narrator:
THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE...

IT'S SAID TO HAVE CLAIMED
OVER 1,000 VICTIMS

SINCE THE MID-19th CENTURY...

...BUT IS THE TRIANGLE
STILL A THREAT?

SEPTEMBER 2015,
THE S.S. EL FARO,

A 790-FOOT CARGO SHIP
WITH 33 CREW,

SAILS FROM JACKSONVILLE,
FLORIDA, BOUND FOR PUERTO RICO.

AS THE VESSEL STEAMS SOUTH,

HURRICANE JOAQUIN GATHERS
STRENGTH IN THE ATLANTIC.

THE EL FARO'S CAPTAIN CHARTS
A COURSE TO AVOID THE STORM...

...BUT LESS THAN 48 HOURS
INTO THE VOYAGE,

THINGS SUDDENLY GO WRONG.

THE SHIP TAKES ON WATER
AND LISTS TO ONE SIDE.

IN ITS ENGINE ROOM,

ITS 30,000-HORSEPOWER
STEAM TURBINES ARE FAILING.

?

WITH NO POWER TO ITS
PROPELLER...

...THE EL FARO IS LEFT ADRIFT
IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE...

...AS THE HURRICANE
BECOMES EVEN MORE POWERFUL.

ALL COMMUNICATIONS
FROM EL FARO ARE LOST.

THE VESSEL VANISHES
FROM THE RADAR.

WHAT GOES WRONG?

OCEANOGRAPHER MILAN CURCIC WORKS
AT MIAMI'S HURRICANE LAB.

A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE
NOW RAGES.

MILAN WANTS TO KNOW
WHAT CREATES A KILLER HURRICANE.

THAT'S STILL AN UNRESOLVED
PROBLEM.

WHEN YOU HAVE A HURRICANE,
YOU HAVE THESE PROCESSES

THAT ARE RARELY OBSERVED.

THEY'RE HARD TO MEASURE, AND
THEY'RE TYPICALLY OUT OF REACH.

Narrator: AT THIS
STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY,

MILAN CAN CREATE A HURRICANE IN
A BOX WITH THE FLIP OF A SWITCH.

IT ALLOWS HIM TO INVESTIGATE
HURRICANES CLOSE UP

AND STUDY THE TRANSFER OF ENERGY
BETWEEN WINDS AND WAVES.

OVER WATER, THE HURRICANE
WIND WHIPS UP A ROUGH SEA,

BUT IRONICALLY, IT'S ALSO THE
FRICTION FROM THE ROUGH SEA

THAT WEAKENS THE HURRICANE.

THE ONLY BREAKING MECHANISM IS
REALLY JUST MECHANICAL FRICTION,

AND THAT IS HOW ROUGH THE OCEAN
BECOMES AS WINDS PICK UP.

Narrator: HURRICANE EXPERTS
THOUGHT THIS FRICTION

CONSTANTLY INCREASES
AS HURRICANE WINDS GAIN SPEED.

BASICALLY, WHAT WE USED TO
BELIEVE IS THE DRAG SIMPLY,

YOU KNOW, KEEPS ON INCREASING
WITH INCREASING WIND SPEED.

Narrator: WITH THIS MODEL,
A HURRICANE EVENTUALLY WEAKENS

DUE TO THE FRICTION ITS WIND
GENERATES ON THE SEA SURFACE,

BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM
BECAUSE SOME HURRICANES

ACTUALLY STRENGTHEN
DESPITE THE INCREASED FRICTION.

?

NOW MILAN HAS SOLVED THE PUZZLE.

DATA FROM HIS EXPERIMENTS
REVEAL THE MODEL

OF HOW HURRICANES INTENSIFY
IS COMPLETELY WRONG.

THESE DATA FROM THE LAB SHOW US
THAT ACTUALLY THE ROUGHNESS

DOESN'T KEEP INCREASING
WITH WIND SPEED

BUT TAPERS OFF
AT THIS CRITICAL POINT.

Narrator: WHAT CAUSES THIS
CRITICAL LOSS OF FRICTION?

COULD THE ANSWER HELP EXPLAIN
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF EL FARO

AND OTHER SHIPS IN THE TRIANGLE?

MILAN ANALYZES HIGH-SPEED
FOOTAGE OF HIS OWN HURRICANE

AND UNEARTHS A CLUE.

Curcic: SPRAY IN THE AIR
AND BUBBLES IN THE WATER

MAKES THE TRANSITION
FROM WATER TO AIR SMOOTHER.

Narrator: MILAN BELIEVES SMALL
BUBBLES AND TINY DROPLETS OF WATER

CAN HELP SMOOTH OUT
THE OCEAN SURFACE.

KIND OF LIKE A SMOOTH BLANKET

OF MIXED WATER BUBBLES
AND SPRAY,

AND THAT CAUSES A DECREASE
IN THE ROUGHNESS.

Narrator: WITH LESS FRICTION,
A HURRICANE RAPIDLY GAINS IN POWER.

AS EL FARO FLOUNDERS...

THE HURRICANE BECOMES A KILLER.

CURRENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS
THAT EL FARO HAS LIKELY BEEN

CAUGHT IN CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE
WINDS GOING UP TO CATEGORY 4.

Narrator: 30 DAYS AFTER
EL FARO'S DISAPPEARANCE,

A SALVAGE SHIP DISCOVERS
THE VESSEL 15,000 FEET

DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.

THE SEARCH TEAM RETRIEVES
THE EL FARO'S DATA RECORDER.

IT REVEALS FURTHER VITAL CLUES
TO THE SHIP'S TRAGIC END.

IT ALL STARTS WITH A HATCH
THE CREW FORGETS TO CLOSE,

SO NOW WATER
CAN SEEP INTO THE CARGO HOLD.

HERE, CARS BREAK FREE
ON WET DECKS

AND SMASH THROUGH A WATER PIPE,
FLOODING THE HOLD.

AS THE SHIP LEANS OVER,

ITS WATER-FILLED BELLY PUSHES
THE VESSEL INTO AN EXTREME LIST.

AND IN THE MACHINE ROOM,
OIL DRAINS AWAY FROM THE ENGINE,

WHICH COMES TO A GRINDING HALT.

WITH NO POWER,
EL FARO IS LEFT ADRIFT

JUST AS THE STORM IT SETS COURSE

TO AVOID INTENSIFIES
INTO A KILLER HURRICANE...

?

...BUT ONE MYSTERY
REMAINS UNSOLVED.

WHY DOES HURRICANE JOAQUIN
SUDDENLY CHANGE COURSE?

IT MAKES A BEELINE
FOR EL FARO AS

IF IT HAS A PERSONAL VENDETTA
AGAINST THE SHIP.

JOAQUIN PROVIDED A NUMBER
OF SURPRISES FOR THE FORECASTERS

BOTH IN TERMS OF THE TRACK
AND IN TERMS OF THE INTENSITY.

Narrator: HURRICANE SPECIALIST
JAMES FRANKLIN IS A CONSULTANT

TO THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION
INTO THE SINKING OF THE EL FARO.

HE WANTS TO UNDERSTAND WHY
JOAQUIN DRAMATICALLY CHANGES

ITS FORECAST PATH
TO HEAD STRAIGHT FOR THE SHIP.

THE INITIAL FORECAST FOR JOAQUIN
HAD IT MOVING OFF TO THE WEST

AND THEN TO THE NORTHWEST.

IT DIDN'T DO THAT AT ALL,
THOUGH.

Narrator: JAMES BELIEVES
JOAQUIN'S PATH IS SO UNUSUAL

BECAUSE OF THE MULTIPLE
WEATHER SYSTEMS

THAT SURROUND THE HURRICANE.

Franklin: WITH JOAQUIN,
THE WINDS AT THE BOTTOM

ARE BLOWING VERY DIFFERENTLY
THAN THE WINDS AT THE TOP,

AND SO A FORECASTER THEN
HAS TO FIGURE OUT,

WELL, WHICH OF THOSE WINDS
IS GOING TO PREVAIL.

Narrator: EL FARO'S CAPTAIN
BELIEVES HE'S CHARTED A COURSE

SOUTH OF THE HURRICANE.

INSTEAD, HE STEAMS
STRAIGHT TOWARDS IT.

JOAQUIN WAS MOVING FURTHER
SOUTH THAN FORECAST,

BASICALLY CUTTING OFF
THAT PARTICULAR PATH.

Narrator: JOAQUIN OVERWHELMS
AND SINKS THE SHIP.

THE CAPTAIN AND HIS ENTIRE CREW
OF 32 MEN DROWN.

THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE IS THE
HURRICANE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING HURRICANES

VEERING OFF
THEIR PREDICTED PATH,

COULD ACCOUNT
FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE

OF SCORES OF SHIPS.

AND NOW THERE'S EVIDENCE

OF AN EVEN STRANGER
WEATHER PHENOMENON.

Narrator: THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE,
AN AREA OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

WHERE NUMEROUS PLANES
AND SHIPS MYSTERIOUSLY VANISH...

...NOW THERE'S EVIDENCE
OF A RARE ATMOSPHERIC EVENT

WHICH CAN SEND PLANES
PLUMMETING TO THEIR DOOM.

Berichi: IT IS EXTREMELY
HAZARDOUS TO AIRCRAFT.

IT'S NOT AN EASY THING
TO GET OUT OF.

Narrator: PILOT CHARLIE BERICHI
INVESTIGATES THE STRANGEST

WEATHER PHENOMENON OF THEM ALL.

IT'S SO UNUSUAL THAT,
UNTIL RECENTLY,

SCIENTISTS DENY IT EVEN EXISTS.

IT'S CALLED A MICROBURST.

MICROBURSTS FORM WHEN DRY AIR
MIXES WITH RAIN

FROM A THUNDERCLOUD.

THIS CREATES A COLUMN
OF COLD AIR,

WHICH SINKS AND PLUMMETS
TO THE GROUND

AT SPEEDS OF UP TO
100 MILES PER HOUR,

BUT CAN A MICROBURST
DOWN AN AIRCRAFT

IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE?

IT'S A VERY MOIST ENVIRONMENT.

IT'S A VERY HOT ENVIRONMENT,
A LOT OF HOT AIR RISING,

A LOT OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY,
SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT AIRCRAFT

MAY HAVE ENTERED A MICROBURST
IN THAT REGION.

Narrator: AT SOUTHCOAST
SIMULATION PILOT ACADEMY,

CHARLIE USES A FLIGHT
SIMULATOR TO INVESTIGATE

IF A MICROBURST
CAN CRASH A PLANE.

A MICROBURST IS PROGRAMMED
INTO THE SIMULATION.

CHARLIE IS FLYING
AT 1,500 FEET WHEN IT HITS.

OH, AND THERE'S THE WIND SHEAR.

AUTOPILOT IS COMING OFF.

POSITIVE RATE, GEAR UP.

PLANES HIT BY MICROBURSTS FIRST
FLY INTO A STRONG HEADWIND,

THEN A DOWNDRAFT,
FOLLOWED BY A STRONG TAILWIND.

NOW WE'RE GETTING A DOWNDRAFT.

THIS IS NOT A WUSSY MANEUVER.

THE PLANE IS ROBBED OF LIFT.

IT CAN STALL AND NOSEDIVE.

CHARLIE HAS TO TAKE
IMMEDIATE ACTION

TO AVERT DISASTER.

FLAPS ARE GOING TO GO
TO 10 SPEED.

BRAKES ARE STOWED,
AND THERE WE ARE.

THAT WAS OUR
MAXIMUM-PERFORMANCE CLIMB,

AND NOW WE'RE OUT OF IT.

CHARLIE'S QUICK THINKING
AND PRACTICED RESPONSE

MEANS HE CAN OUTFLY
THE MICROBURST.

BUT IF IT HITS WITHOUT WARNING,

THE OUTCOME COULD BE
VERY DIFFERENT.

Berichi: WE WERE EXPECTING IT,

SO WE DIDN'T HAVE
THAT HUMAN FACTOR TODAY

WHERE WE HAD
5-TO-10-SECOND DELAY OF A PANIC

OR A UNCERTAINTY OF WHAT TO DO,

SO WHAT WE DID TODAY MIGHT NOT
WORK OUT IN THE REAL WORLD.

Narrator: ACCORDING TO CHARLIE,
MICROBURSTS MAY BE RESPONSIBLE

FOR DOWNING NUMEROUS PLANES
IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

Berichi: IT'S AN EXTREME HAZARD,
AND IT'S A KILLER OF AIRCRAFT.

MICROBURSTS HAVE OCCURRED
IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE,

AND AIRCRAFTS
HAVE DISAPPEARED IN THERE,

AND THAT MIGHT BE THE CAUSE FOR
WHY THEY WERE NEVER DISCOVERED.

Narrator: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW FOR
SURE HOW MANY PLANES HAVE BEEN HIT

BY A MICROBURST
IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.

THE EVIDENCE LIES AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

?

THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE HAS
MYSTIFIED BOTH EXPERTS

AND THE PUBLIC FOR DECADES,
BUT MASSIVE KILLER ROGUE WAVES,

EXTREME METHANE-HYDRATE
BLOWOUTS,

AND VIOLENT MICROBURSTS
HAVE PROVED TO BE ALL TOO REAL.

ADVANCES IN OUR UNDERSTANDING
OF MOTHER NATURE'S EXTREME

AND TERRIFYING FORCES
MAY ONE DAY REVEAL

ALL OF THE BERMUDA
TRIANGLE'S SECRETS.

?

?

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