What do whirlpools look like

The whirlpool forms in a region of about feet in diameter. The tremendous water turbulence takes place locally on the larger Old Sow region, frequently forming a huge area of several fascinating turbulence.

The activities of Old Sow whirlpool is affected by the numerous currents and counter currents including tidal surges, storms, and strong winds. Several other small whirlpools can also be seen in the area. Whitecaps and whirlpools are often formed at the rapids during peak flows.

Every day, large amounts of seawater are forced through the Skookumchuck Narrows by the tides. The water level difference on either side of the rapid may exceed 6. The tidal rapids are sometimes considered the fastest in the world.

The tidal pattern causes the water to move almost all times in the narrows area. Moskstraumen is one of the strongest whirlpools in the world. The whirlpool is formed when the strong tidal current flow between the islands and the Atlantic Ocean and the deep Vestfjorden.

The largest whirlpool has a diameter of to feet and induces a surface water ripple of up to 3 feet. Moskstraumen result from several factors such as tides, strong winds, the position of the Lofotodden, and the topography of the underwater. Although most whirlpools occur in confined straits and rivers, Moskstraumen is an exception. It occurs in open seas. Tides on Lofoten rise twice a day and are the major contributors to the whirlpool. They combine with the Norwegian Sea current and storm-induced flow, resulting in a significant stream.

The flow occurs at a depth of about 1, feet and meets a ridge of about 66 feet deep at Mosken and Vaeroy islands, leading to an upward movement and eddies around the region. Have you ever heard that water goes down a drain in different directions in the northern and southern hemisphere? Is it truth or myth? Technically, it is true. If there is no other outside force present such as the direction of the inflowing water, and the drain hole is perfectly level, water will rotate counterclockwise north of the equator and clockwise south of the equator.

You can find videos on YouTube and other places that claim to demonstrate the Coriolis Effect making water spin in opposite directions on either side of the equator. These demonstrations are for tourists You can learn more about the trick if you do a web search for "water equator test debunked".

The Coriolis Effect is extremely slight, similar to the fact that we can stand on the earth without being knocked over by the 1, mile per hour speed of the rotating earth.

There are many forces that are stronger on a small body of water such as the angle of the drain, the slightest hand movement as you remove the plug, etc. In a natural setting such as a stream, there are usually other obstructions that create the spinning direction. If you were to stir water in the opposite direction of your hemispheric location, that is sufficient energy to create a vortex whirlpool since that stirring is a stronger localized influence than the slight rotational influence of the earth.

Some people even believe that water swirls down a toilet according to hemispheric influence. But that is NOT true. The direction of rotation in a toilet is caused by the direction of the water flowing into the toilet bowl from the outlets around the inside of the rim.

What about a bathtub drain? Will the Coriolis-Effect be sufficient to influence the direction of the vortex? Only if the tub and drain are perfectly level, and the water is not disturbed when the drain plug is removed. But that is nearly impossible. It is best to pull the plug with a chain rather than by reaching in with your hand. Your hand will cause slight currents as you put it into the water and then remove it, and that might be enough to influence the direction of the water.

Pop Bottle Experiment. One of the most fun whirlpool experiments is with a pop bottle. You will probably spill water with this experiment, so it is best to do it outside or over a tub. Fill a 1-liter plastic pop bottle with water and turn it upside down. Watch as the water fights to get out of the small opening. The fight is between water and air. If air doesn't replace the space occupied by the water, a vacuum will form and slow down the water while sucking the sides of the bottle in.

Notice the large bubbles of air climbing to the top of the water level. It is very uncoordinated. You can also demonstrate the power of this vacuum with a straw. Stick a straw down into a glass of water, place your finger over the top end of it, and then remove the straw from the glass of water. Notice that the water stays in the straw.

They may then be moved along the sea floor by ocean currents. If the object can float, it may come back to the surface a long way from where the whirlpool is located. Did You Know? Large ships are generally in no danger from whirlpools, although some reports from ancient history say otherwise. It is thought that the mythical Charybdis of the Greeks may have been a whirlpool off the coast of Sicily, capable of swallowing small ships.

Small boats and swimmers must use caution around whirlpools. As with any other current, the moving water can overpower a swimmer and pull him beneath the water, causing drowning.