# May 2003: Can a single bubble sink a ship?

> D. A. May, J. J. Monaghan, 2003. 5 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The peer-reviewed basis for the methane-eruption mechanism, which says…

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Bermuda Triangle](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bermuda-triangle)May 2003

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# Can a single bubble sink a ship?

D. A. May, J. J. Monaghan, 2003. _American Journal of Physics 71(9): 842–849_.

Experiments and smoothed-particle simulations of a large gas bubble rising under a floating body, motivated by methane hydrate hazards in the North Sea. Identifies conditions under which a hull of similar scale to the bubble's curvature sinks.

**Bermuda Triangle** Articledoi: **[10.1119/1.1582187](https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1582187)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The peer-reviewed basis for the methane-eruption mechanism, which says nothing about how often it happens.

## Cited by on this site 5 records

[Methane eruptions from seabed sediments occasionally sink vessels by reducing buoyancy.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bermuda-triangle/answers/ANS0D667AVA6581/methane-eruptions-from-seabed-sediments-occasionally-sink)

Answer

ANS

[Experiments and simulations show that a single large bubble can sink a floating body of comparable size.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bermuda-triangle/evidence/EVD0D667B347CFA/experiments-and-simulations-show-that-a-single-large-bubble)

Evidence

EVD

[May and Monaghan show a large bubble can sink a floating body](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bermuda-triangle/events/EVT0D66703J3GF7/may-and-monaghan-show-a-large-bubble-can-sink-a-floating)

EVT

[The Bermuda Triangle](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bermuda-triangle)

The mystery article

MYS

[Which natural hazards account for losses without trace in this area?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/bermuda-triangle/questions/QST0D66729W1W9T/which-natural-hazards-account-for-losses-without-trace-in)

Question

QST

## Cite it

```
May, D. A., & Monaghan, J. J. (2003). Can a single bubble sink a ship?. American Journal of Physics 71(9): 842–849. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1582187
```

[Find it at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1582187)

Key

**SRC** 0D666S8T2ZN3

Kind

Journal article

Rights

The publisher's

Checked

Against the published article

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[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

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