Disaster

The bizarre explosion of Lake Nyos 5

The bizarre explosion of Lake Nyos

These particular lakes in West Africa paint a disturbingly odd picture: they are prone to sudden, deadly explosions that instantly kill people, animals, and plants for kilometers around.
Bermeja (circled in red) on a map from 1779. © Carte du Mexique et de la Nouvelle Espagne: contenant la partie australe de l'Amérique Septentle (LOC)

What happened to the island of Bermeja?

This little piece of land in the Gulf of Mexico has now vanished without a trace. Theories of what happened to the island range from it being subject to ocean floor shifts or rising water levels to it being destroyed by the US to gain oil rights. It also may have never existed.