Taylor Column

[Foxbat]

I’d never heard of this phenomenon before. It’s a column of water that is affected by the seabed terrain causing the water to turn. The world’s largest iceberg is currently stuck in a Taylor Column.

A23a: Colossal iceberg stuck spinning in ocean trap

A frozen block of ice far bigger than Greater London is captured in a vast pool of rotating water.

www.bbc.co.uk

I should add that I have no idea if this is different to a straightforward whirlpool.

 

[THX1138]

I should add that I have no idea if this is different to a straightforward whirlpool.

It looks like it is more due to the geology and relation of the Pirie Bank and South Orkney. Looks like the lower currents might be moving faster than the current just N of the Pirie Bank. This might be what is causing the upper and surface currents to rotate around the Pirie Bank, and trapping A23a. Kind of like the air going over an airplane wing perhaps?

 

[Foxbat]

It looks like it is more due to the geology and relation of the Pirie Bank and South Orkney. Looks like the lower currents might be moving faster than the current just N of the Pirie Bank. This might be what is causing the upper and surface currents to rotate around the Pirie Bank, and trapping A23a. Kind of like the air going over an airplane wing perhaps?


View attachment 121778

I’ll just add that I think a whirlpool tends to drag objects below the surface whereas here, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

 

[THX1138]

Looks that way. But yes, I see your point.
Could you imagine sea anchoring a boat out there and the view you would see as you are pulled around?