Are whirlpools real!?
Whirlpools are real but not to that extent shown in some movies. Where strong ocean currents and tides exist they are found as the current passes by an object it causes a disturbance to the water flow and so a whirlpool can be formed. For example, place a rock in a flowing stream and look at the water reacts just down from the rock. Use different sized rocks and check out what that does to the water. A whirlpool can not form unless there is enough water flow.
Where do Whirlpools lead?
Downward... until they reach a location where the interacting currents no longer force the radial movement of the water.
How much do we know about whirlpools in the ocean?
A whirlpool is a body of swirling water produced by the meeting of opposing currents. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful and very small whirlpools can easily be seen when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones in seas or oceans may be termed maelstorms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft.In oceans, in narrow straits, with fast flowing water, whirlpools are normally caused by tides; there are few stories of large ships ever being sucked into such a maelstrom, although smaller craft are in danger.Smaller whirlpools also appear at the base of many waterfalls and can also be observed downstream from manmade structures such as weirs and dams. In the case of powerful waterfalls, like Niagara falls, these whirlpools can be quite strong.
How are whirlpools formed in oceans and rivers?
The Gulf of Corryvreckan whirlpool, Scotland, is the third largest whirlpool in the world.When opposing currents meet in a water body, swirling water is produced. This is called as whirlpool. In other words, whirlpool is created when flowing water hits any kind of barrier, it twists away and spins around rapidly with great force. 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.Sources:Images: Whirlpool - WikipediaHow are whirlpools formed? - Times of India
Are whirlpool dangerous?
Yes, they can be and the bigger they are the more dangerous they can be. I don't believe there ever was one big enough to sink a real ship though. Small boats, now and then, yes. I watched a video online a couple of months ago that showed one in a river, sucking down ice that was floating on the water. If you were to be swimming nearby you'd be in real trouble. It was really powerful.
Why are whirlpools so deadly?
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. Powerful whirlpools have killed unlucky seafarers, but their power tends to be exaggerated by laymen. There are virtually no stories of large ships ever being sucked into a whirlpool. In popular imagination, but only rarely in reality, whirlpools can have the dangerous effect of destroying boats.
What are the natural ways a whirlpool can form in a river or ocean and what's the physics behind them? Do all the cases cause a downward pull?
I will try to explain the physics and then it will be easy to hypothesis as to why these are formed. Remember the steering wheel? When two opposite forces act on it, it turns. Now similar to that what happens when the velocity of fluid at two near by points is opposite? We get a vortex. A vortex has a centre about which the fluid rotates. It is usually caused by significant difference in velocities exist over small distances. We can see examples of vortex very often in nature. Sea waves is a good example. The receding water meets the incoming water. Opposite velocities at close distances. And a vortex is formed. Whirlpools, tornadoes are all examples of vortex. Other examples are tip vortices from the tip of an aircraft wing. A fluid flowing at high velocities into a fluid at rest can also cause vortex. This is one case where a whirlpool can form. Now that we understand how the rotation comes into picture we will try and understand why the fluid is being pulled down. Remember the Bernoulli equation, which is an energy conservation equation of pressure, velocity and potential(height)? Let's now ignore the potential term. Which means as velocity increases in a flow the pressure of the fluid or the height of the fluid will decrease and vice versa.In a vortex the velocity near the centre is very high, which means the potential(height) at that point will be low. Now the pressure at the surface ofa fluid say water is equal to the atmospheric pressure. Hence the increase in velocity is compensated solely by the decrease in potential.We can also use centrifugal acceleration to explain this phenomenon. EDIT:Bernoulli's Equation (copied from Wikipedia)Bernoulli's principle where:is the fluid flow speed at a point on a streamline, is the value of acceleration due to gravity, is the elevation of the point above a reference plane, with the positive z-direction pointing upward – so in the direction opposite to the gravitational acceleration, is the pressure at the chosen point, and is the density of the fluid at all points in the fluid.PS: Please keep in mind that several assumptions go into the Bernoulli equation and it cant be applicable directly to a whirlpool. However it gives a general idea of why and hence I have used it here.Hope this helps. Please Let me know how to improve this answer.
What if you get sucked by a whirlpool?
Decades ago, I was caught in one in Mexico. I was swimming in the Pacific in a rocky cove between two rocky points.The ocean depth was maybe 40 feet. It just kept spinning me until I got dizzy. While I struggled to stay up and be strong enough to break out. Several times I nearly got loose, but I was out of breath and knew I was going down.The tube was too small for my body mass. I went down in a twirl. Maybe 20 feet. I looked up and saw the surface clear. The water became clear at my eye level, so I pushed backwards and I was out of the hole. Swimming up I could sense another twirl ahead of me.I froze for a moment and watched the underwater tornado open up in a blurry funnel, as I kicked back into the old space which was now calm. Three big strokes with hands, arms, and feet I just shot up and out. A small crowd of Mexicans cheered and jumped in for me. I was so dizzy that I didn’t know which way to look.I crawled up the rocks and noticed the tidal collision in the bay. A bigger hole appeared. I watched the hole move on the surface and promptly threw up. A boy brought out a half used no label bottle of Tequila and gestured I should chug it. I did. Oddly, the spinning world came to a stop. Later, I was told in Spanish that it was El Dia del Muertos, and the dead didn’t want me just yet.The whirlpools popped up and disappeared for about 15 minutes, when the tide substantially changed. My new friends told me that I was pulled sideways and moved about 10 meters away.I’d say the dizziness was more dangerous than the suction.Good luck, Mac
Where does water go in a whirlpool?
Underground . . . .
How do whirlpools formed?
Several things can lead to the formation of a whirlpool. Most commonly, whirlpools are caused by the meeting of opposing currents. When the currents are strong enough, they can start to wrap around each other, creating a spiral of rapidly swirling water. Whirlpools can also be caused by winds, which may cause surface currents to switch direction, and consistent whirlpools are sometimes caused by geographical features which determine the flow of water currents in a region.