There is new evidence ships and planes lost at sea in mysterious circumstances were caught in massive methane burps rising from the bottom of the ocean.
Massive craters have been found at the bottom of the ocean in the Barents Sea, with scientists from the Arctic University of Norway putting the blame on "enormous blowouts of gas", reports UK paper The Sunday Times.
The craters are up to 800m wide and 50m deep. New radar technology has allowed them to see gases seeping from the seabed around the craters.
Further research is planned to see whether bubbles of methane that large, expanding as they rise from the seabed to the surface, can cause ships to sink.
According to the theory, ships caught above a bubble will sink as the water beneath them is pushed out of the way by the rising gas; while planes lose their engines, perhaps also catching on fire as the methane is ignited.
It's also proposed methane bubbles which don't sink ships could still asphyxiate everyone on board, providing an explanation for 'ghost' ships found with everyone on board dead, but no signs of trauma.
The researchers have suggested methane could also be behind the Bermuda Triangle's fearsome reputation, but have yet to look for craters there.
More details of the findings are to be released in April at a meeting of the European Geosciences Union.
Newshub.
