Welcome to another phenomenon post and have a great week, everyone! Ok, today I don't have something that bizarre or unknown to most of you. But we are going to see the somehow opposite phenomenon of waterspouts we discussed in Vol. 53, and that is of course...

Image from: wikipedia.org - Author: Shutinc - License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Whirlpools

You have noticed them in your sink or your bathtub every time you remove the stopper to get rid of the water. Water starts flowing towards the drain, swirling and swirling, faster and faster creating a spinning vortex that looks like an ice skater on the rink. Now, take that image, magnify it and instead of your bathtub picture an open sea.

You will have something like this:

And why does water start spinning? 

Whenever water is "squeezed" to pass through a narrow opening, it starts spinning. Once the spinning begins, a vacuum center is formed where objects can be sucked into. It is thanks to the centrifugal force that the center remains vacuum and water is lead towards the outer parts of the spinning vortex. [4]

The unique features of an area, like rocks or straits, create narrow passages that water has to go through. And as the water particles are "squeezed" to make it through, due to lack of space, they start pushing each other to the side. Natural obstacles make the water particles bounce back and so the spinning begins. Their motion is then accelerated by the gravity pull. [4]

What holds this spinning water mass together and does not allow it to fall apart are these natural obstacles (like rocks and other formations), that fight the centrifugal force of the spinning vortex and keep it "restricted" in place. And since water is heavier than air, water particles will "flood" the outside layers of the spinning mass, whereas an empty spinning column of air will be left in the center. [4]

If a whirlpool is created by a downdraft of water that can suck objects floating around it, it is called a vortex. As for whirlpools of greater strength and sizes, the term maelstrom is used. [1, 2, 3, 4] 

Cool stuff! Where can I see them?

Whirlpools may form in various places outside your tub or sink; from a river, a waterfall, the sea or ocean to even dams and weirs. [1, 2]

The mightiest maelstrom on the planet is located in the Arctic circle, in Norway and is called Saltstraumen. Strong tidal forces by the new and the old moon create a menacing whirlpool very often in those waters. [1, 2, 3]

The most widely known maelstrom is the Moskstraumen Maelstrom, in Norway as well. It is not a single whirlpool, but a more complex system of whirlpools and tidal eddies. [1, 2, 3]

The Maelstrom of Corryvreckan make whirlpools appear in the strait of Corryvrekan in Scotland. The tidal currents create those "roaring" vortexes among the two islands of the area and a pyramid shaped rock in the sea. [1, 2, 3]

There are also whirlpools in: Old Sow in Maine (USA), Naruto (Japan), Garofalo (strait of Messina, Sicily) that is believed to be Charybdis from Ulysses' journeys, the Ligurian Sea (the Mediterranean), the Niagara Falls (USA), Doctor's cove in Nova Scotia (Canada) and the Skookumchuck Narrows (Canada). [1, 3]

The Naruto whirlpools - Image from: wikipedia.org - Author: Hellbuny - License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Should I be afraid of them?

Nature is often unpredictable and attempting to swim in a whirlpool, even of a smaller size could be proven  dangerous. It is not advisable to try out such a stunt, since swimmers have lost their lives in the past. For sea vessels, on the other hand, whirlpools are not always dangerous, but this depends on the size and power of the spinning vortex along with the size of the vessel (a small boat could easily be overturned and sucked into the vortex, but a big ship would manage to avoid being "dragged into the abyss"). [1, 4]

References

[1] wikipedia.org
[2] worldofphenomena.com
[3] momtastic.com
[4] spiralwishingwells.com
[5] britannica.com

Thank you so much for your time!

Until my next post,
Steem on and keep smiling, people!