Whirlpool: A natural phenomenon that cannot be predicted
Have you ever had the chance to bathe in a bathtub? If you have, you would know that once you turn off the plugs, the water starts to swirl around the tub, specially moving faster and faster near the drain. Towards the end, it looks something like a harmless vortex of water. That’s what a whirlpool is. Such whirlpools exist in nature too. But unlike most weather phenomena, these can’t be predicted. This is what makes them all the more dangerous.
How are whirlpools formed?
By now you have understood that whirlpool is an instance of a vortex that happens in a body of water. In nature, they form rarely. But when they form, they can be quite harmful. Okay, but how are they formed? Well, that has got to do with the currents of ocean tides. However, these aren’t your regular high and low tides. Instead, they are formed due to sudden heavy winds or when there’s a random and rapid shift in water density, due to temperature fluctuations. Irrespective of their causes, these currents during a whirlpool tend to localise in one direction and move swiftly towards an obstacle.
When one or more currents flowing in opposing directions suddenly meet, their waters start to swirl around each other, until they are strong enough to spiral together in a downward motion. Do you know what this leads to? A vortex, or an empty space right at the centre of the whirlpool. Spoiler alert: This area has the power to pull objects and people into it and in turn sink or drown them.
Maelstrom: A super powerful whirlpool
While most whirlpools form in the middle of the sea and are thus potentially harmless for humans, ships can seldom get close and be exposed to immediate threat. This is especially true in case of large and violent whirlpools called maelstroms. They form when currents collide near narrow water bodies, such as straits.
You will be amazed to know that world’s most famous and turbulent maelstrom forms in Norway near the Saltstraumen Strait. Here, super powerful whirlpools strike every six hours, with a diameter of 33 feet. Sounds crazy, isn’t it? No wonder, this area is off limits for all kinds of human communication.
Popular whirlpools around the world
While it’s true that whirlpools can’t be predicted, there are some areas that are prone to these natural phenomena. For instance, Moskstraumen located in Norway in between the Norwegian Sea and the Vestfjorden (fjord or a long, narrow inlet of water, created by glaciers) is known for producing one of the world’s strongest whirlpools, that too in open sea. Similarly, Old Sow in Canada, formed near New Brunswick, as well as Naruto (with a diameter of 66 feet) formed off the coast of Japan are two of the largest whirlpools. Interestingly, whirlpools can form in rivers, large lakes and are pretty common at the bottom of waterfalls.