User:Lewis Martin/Sandbox

Whirlpools

A Whirlpool is a revolving current in an ocean, river, or lake. It may be caused by the configuration of the shore, irregularities in the bottom of the body of water, the meeting of opposing currents or tides, or the action of wind upon the water. There are no true whirlpools really dangerous to shipping; the Maelstrom, near Norway, and Charybdis, near Sicily, are subjects of legend and myth, and Corrievrekin, near Scotland, was feared by sailors of small boat. The Rapids below Niagara Falls are remarkable for their volume and violence, caused by an irregularity in the Niagara River channel. There is also a whirlpool below Victoria Falls in South Africa.

How do        whirlpools form? Any time water flows through a narrow path, it forms at least a partial whirlpool. As the water passes through the narrower opening, it accelerates and forms a more powerful force. If the downstream area then enlarges, it can mature into a complete whirlpool. What direction does the water spin? 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. How Do Whirlpools Begin? When flowing water hits against any kind of barrier, it twists away and spins around rapidly with great force. This creates a whirlpool. Whirlpools can occur in a small area where a piece of land juts out into a river, causing the water to swirl around. They can also occur in the middle of the ocean when one current meets an opposing current, as when an incoming tide hits the ebb current of the last tide. Strong winds can also whip up the water into whirlpools. The Maelstrom, a whirlpool off the coast of Norway, is one of the most famous, although writers such as Jules Verne, in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Edgar Allan Poe, in a Descent into the Maelstrom, have exaggerated its power. The Maelstrom is formed by the current hitting rocks and opposing tides. Any time water flows through a narrow path, it forms at least a partial whirlpool. As the water passes through the narrower opening, it accelerates and forms a more powerful force. If the downstream area then enlarges, it can mature into a complete whirlpool.
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