Scientists discovered this odd formation by analyzing seismic data from nearly 400 earthquakes whose seismic waves passed through the mantle beneath Bermuda. However, it turns out the real Bermuda mystery is what’s going on beneath this unique island chain. Scientists have known for years that the geology beneath Bermuda is unlike anywhere else on Earth. “When a hot mantle plume upwells beneath a tectonic plate, it often generates a chain of volcanic islands or seamounts and a wide (∼500 km) bathymetric swell. “In the case of Bermuda, there is no evidence for a hot mantle plume or an active chain of volcanoes.