The Bermuda Triangle — a stretch of the Atlantic Ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. Home to over 100 wrecked ships and airplanes, this region was first reported on after the loss of five American bomber ships in 1945. As recently as 2015, this mysterious stretch of ocean continues to claim ships and planes as they pass through.

Scientists at the University of Colorado recently analyzed satellite weather images of the conditions in the Triangle, though, and what they found was surprising:

The specific wind conditions in the Bermuda Triangle are creating hexagons — entirely unusual behavior during any sort of weather. While the scientists are unclear on how the straight-line cloud formations are occurring in the first place, they are crystal clear on the effects of such conditions: Winds up to 170 miles per hour, and waves exceeding 45 feet. To put this in perspective, it is as if something exceeding the strength of a hurricane lands on these ships, suddenly and without warning; and no ship, or airplane, can survive those sort of conditions.

Many questions remain unanswered, though: How is it that these mysterious hexagonal clouds form? Why hasn’t anyone been able to capture the weather in the Bermuda Triangle on camera? What prevents submarines from exploring this area, and finding the ships which have been sunk?

The appearance of these curious conditions has motivated researchers around the globe to continue with their studies of the Bermuda Triangle. Though answers have been few for the mysterious disappearances of ships and planes in this area, this recent study may point the right direction for further research.

Check out the article which inspired this piece here.