Whirlpool
Body of rotating water produced by the meeting of opposing currents / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle.[1][clarification needed] Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms (/ˈmeɪlstrɒm, -rəm/ MAYL-strom, -strəm). Vortex is the proper term for a whirlpool that has a downdraft.[citation needed]
In narrow ocean straits with fast flowing water, whirlpools are often caused by tides. Many stories tell of ships being sucked into a maelstrom, although only smaller craft are actually in danger.[2] Smaller whirlpools appear at river rapids[3] and can be observed downstream of artificial structures such as weirs and dams. Large cataracts, such as Niagara Falls, produce strong whirlpools.