maelstrom

A maelstrom (/ËmeÉªlstrÉm/ or /ËmeÉªlstrÉm/) is a very powerful whirlpool; a large, swirling body of water. A free vortex, it has considerable downdraft. The power of tidal whirlpools tends to be exaggerated by laymen.[1] There are virtually no stories of large ships ever being sucked into a maelstrom, although smaller craft are in danger[2] and tsunami-generated maelstroms may even threaten larger craft. Tales like those by Paul the Deacon, Jules Verne and Edgar Allan Poe are entirely fictional.

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ZME Science posts about maelstrom

8 totally awesome natural phenomena you probably didn’t know about

Fri, Aug 7, 2009

130 Comments

The Maelstrom When you hear a name like maelstrom, you just know it’s about something wicked. Introduced in English by Edgar Allan Poe from the Nordic languages, from which it came from the Dutch word maelstrom (maalstroom in modern spelling), it literally means crushing current, which is quite a very good description. A maelstom is [...]

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