A whirlpool is a swirling body of water produced by the meeting of opposing currents. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful. More powerful ones are properly termed maelstroms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft. Whirlpools in oceans are usually caused by tides. Very small whirlpools can easily be seen when a bath or a sink is draining, but these are produced in a very different manner from those in nature. Smaller whirlpools also appear at the base of many waterfalls. In the case of powerful waterfalls, like Niagara Falls, these whirlpools can be quite strong. The most powerful whirlpools are created in narrow, shallow straits with fast flowing water.
Some of the most notable whirlpools in the world are the Saltstraumen in Norway, which reaches speeds of 37 km/h (23 mph); the Moskstraumen also in Norway (the original maelstrom), which reaches speeds of 27.8 km/h (17.3 mph); the Old Sow in Canada, which has been measured with a speed of up to 27.6 km/h (17.1 mph); the Naruto whirlpools in Japan, which have a speed of 20 km/h (12 mph); and the Corryvreckan in Scotland, which reaches speeds of 18 km/h (11 mph).
In popular imagination, but only rarely in reality, whirlpools can have the dangerous effect of destroying boats.
Question
1. What is a whirlpool ?
2. What is Vortex ?
3. Where is the most powerful whirlpool are created ?
4. How fast the Saltstraumen whirlpool ?
5. What is the dangerous of whilpool ?
No comments:
Post a Comment