Is Bermuda Triangle connected to Compass Variation?

 

 

Compass variation is often cited as a possible explanation for ships and planes disappearing in Bermuda Triangle. So what is compass variation? A compass always points to the magnetic North, while the absolute geographic north which is known as the North Pole is located at Greenland. And these two are not the same location. They are about 1,500 miles apart. 

 

If you think that following the 'N' sign of a compass, you can reach the absolute north (i.e. the north pole in Greenland), you can not. If you try to do that, you will actually end up reaching Prince of Wales Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada, which is about 1,500 miles away from the North Pole. 

 

 

 

The angular gap in degrees between the true north and the magnetic north is known as the compass variation. And this gap depends on one's physical position on earth. For example, from Azores the angular gap between the geographic (i.e. true) North pole and where the compass actually points is 20 degrees. Whereas from coast of Florida, there is hardly any gap. 

 

So what does Compass Variation got to do with Bermuda Triangle and the disappearances of ships and planes? Well, the US Coast guards came out with some strange observations and a theory for such disappearances around this compass variation. 

 

Here is an extract from what the US coast guard communicated: 

 

"The majority of disappearances can be attributed to the area's unique environmental features. First, the 'Devil's Triangle' is one of the two places on earth that a magnetic compass does point towards true north. Normally it points toward magnetic north. The difference between the two is known as compass variation. The amount of variation changes by as much as 20 degrees as one circumnavigates the earth. If this compass variation or error is not compensated for, a navigator could find himself far off course and in deep trouble." 

 

The above statement is quite misleading. First, the compass always points to the magnetic North. It does so even within the Bermuda Triangle area and does not point anywhere else. However, it is true that if a ship moves along a specific narrow strip within Bermuda Triangle, the magnetic North and the absolute geographic North come into the same line. Which means the compass on this narrow strip will point to both magnetic as well as absolute North because both fall along the same line. 

 

Why does this happen? Imagine two dots on a piece of paper, join the two dots with a straight line and extend the line. From any point on the extension, the two dots will always be seen on the same line with no gap between them. The narrow strip on Bermuda triangle is similar to the extension of the line from where magnetic north and absolute north are seen on one line. The compass variation, which is the gap between absolute and magnetic north, will show as zero here. There is nothing strange about this. 

 

Second, as a matter of routine practice, every navigator adjusts the compass variation while creating the navigation charts. Otherwise, even with one degree difference, the ship or the plane can end up miles away from its target destination. 

 

So there was no reason to underestimate the navigators, who are supposed to consider the compass variation anyway as a matter of routine practice. And such practice prevails all over the world. So accidents or loss can happen all over the world and not just in Bermuda Triangle, if such compass adjustments are not made. 

 

Third, there were so many pilots and captains who were old hands and had a vast knowledge of Bermuda Triangle area because they crossed it frequently for years, yet some of them met with unfortunate disasters in the area. Compass or not, they knew the places by heart. Then, how did such cases of disappearances take place? 

 

Well when you analyze all these, the theory of compass variation to justify ships and planes getting lost in Bermuda triangle seems to be a weak one. Probably the US Coast Guards had to come out with some theory under tremendous pressures from the US Government and International community. They had to somehow justify or find some reasons behind the incidents. 

 

It has been hypothesized that the interference of local magnetic disturbances and anomalies results into faulty reading of the compass and as a consequence ships and planes in Bermuda Triangle were misdirected and eventually were lost. Let's explore the credibility of such hypothesis. 

 

Magnetic Disturbances

 

Earth's magnetism is a commonly known phenomena to any student who has read physics. The magnetic fields produced along the earth's surface is due to the magnetic forces emanating out of the core of the earth. And this magnetic field is usually quite uniform across the surface of the earth. 

 

However, in certain places on the earth's surface, particularly those that are rich with iron ore deposits, the magnetic field can vary substantially. For example, northern Minnesota, Lake Superior, or extensive lava beds such as that near Grants, New Mexico are such exceptions where there are some local magnetic disturbances. 

 

In such areas where there are local variations in magnetic fields, the compass can not be relied on because it gives faulty readings due to the magnetic field interference. The aeronautical charts and even navigational charts warn the pilots of such situation. Such irregular behavior of the compass in such situations is a known fact and there is nothing strange or mysterious about it. 

 

The Navy has conducted tests on the Bermuda Triangle area to check if there is any such magnetic disturbances in this area. They have done so as a worldwide program to update navigational charts and not to investigate any mystery in Bermuda Triangle. Their findings are very clear... there is no local magnetic disturbance in Bermuda Triangle area. 

 

Magnetic Anomalies

 

In contrast to magnetic disturbances, magnetic anomalies are small deviations in the compass which are usually caused by earth's movement and underlying ferromagnetic substances, and such small compass deviations are unlikely to cause any effect any passing boats or planes. 

 

Oceanographer Simon Boxall mentioned that magnetic anomaly can be caused by the earth's mantle moving below the earth's crust. And the nearest such location is 1,000 miles off the coast of Brazil which is nowhere close to Bermuda Triangle. 

 

Spinning Compass

 

A well known characteristic of a compass is that its needle is quite unstable and moves when subjected to rough weather. It is a common experience of any pilot that the compass needle swings when the boat or the plane tilts from side to side due to rough weather.  

 

This is because the needle is placed on a pivot to make it frictionless and although a light oil used in the container of the compass to make the needle movement smooth, the needle still swings in such conditions due to gravity. And it doesn't require a very rough weather or turbulence to see wild swings of the compass needle. However, stronger the turbulence, wider would be the swings of the compass, and in violent weather, the needle can keep spinning. 

 

This is a well known flaw in the ordinary compass. And that is the reason why electric or air-driven gyroscopic compasses are now used. Although they have their own problems, they remain relatively steady during rough weather or turbulence. 

 

Related Articles

 

 

1) The facts and Myths of Bermuda Triangle 

 

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