Whirlpool

The Gulf of Corryvreckan whirlpool in Scotland is the third-largest whirlpool in the world.

A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle.[1][clarification needed] Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms (/ˈmlstrɒm, -rəm/ MAYL-strom, -⁠strəm). Vortex is the proper term for a whirlpool that has a downdraft.[citation needed]

In narrow ocean straits with fast flowing water, whirlpools are often caused by tides. Many stories tell of ships being sucked into a maelstrom, although only smaller craft are actually in danger.[2] Smaller whirlpools appear at river rapids[3] and can be observed downstream of artificial structures such as weirs and dams. Large cataracts, such as Niagara Falls, produce strong whirlpools.

  1. ^ "Whirlpool - Facts and Information". World of Phenomena. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  2. ^ 10 Magnificent Maelstroms. WebEcoist. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  3. ^ Carreck, Rosalind, ed. (1982). The Family Encyclopedia of Natural History. The Hamlyn Publishing Group. p. 246. ISBN 0-7112-0225-7.