PrideInThisTeam Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 http://www.huffingto...ref=mostpopular Nothing escapes the yawning chasm of a black hole. Not matter, sound nor even light. Normally confined to the reaches of space, black holes and their seemingly insatiable appetites for everything, have fascinated — and enlightened — scientists for years. Now, they may not have to look so far to study them. Researchers at Switzerland's ETH Zurich and the University of Miami say black holes are among us — at least, massive eddies in the southern Atlantic Ocean bear their telltale signatures. What a black hole is to light, an ocean eddy, scientists suggest, is to water. Dubbed maelstroms, they're bigger than cities, winding up billions of tonnes of ocean water so tightly, nothing escapes them. And scientists are discovering more every day. In a paper published earlier this month in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, George Haller, a professor at ETH Zurich and Francisco Beron-Vera of the University of Miami claim they can track and define these engorged eddies — a feat that has, until now, proven elusive. The ocean's natural turbulence has thwarted previous attempts to demarcate these islands of intensity. But, by studying satellite imagery, Haller and Baron-Vera were able to identify seven black-hole types in a group of eddies, called Agulhas Rings, that regularly appear off the tip of Africa. Their conclusion? Maelstroms have the same mathematical properties as black holes. Now, consider a real black hole. As explained in Science World Report, there's a point where light being sucked into a black hole stops spiraling -- bending instead, before returning to its usual position. The result is a circular orbit. The dramatic effect of these closed light orbits, dubbed a 'photon sphere' by Albert Einstein, finds a parallel in these ocean vortexes, according to scientists. Essentially, the maelstrom whips up its own closed barriers, pressing whatever was sucked inside so tightly that not even a drop of these fluid particles can escape. In fact, researchers have found eddies bearing the same bodies of water without leaking a drop for nearly a year. ”Mathematicians have been trying to understand such peculiarly coherent vortices in turbulent flows for a very long time,” George Haller explained in a statement. That stunning sense of stability makes maelstroms something of a transportation device. Everything from the tiniest organisms to waste or oil to higher-temperature water is transported perfectly intact throughout the oceans before the maelstroms eventually lose their charge. As the study authors note, they "create moving oases for the marine food chain or even impact climate change through their long-range transport of salinity and temperature." By casting light on these black holes (Yes, we know how impossible that sounds), researchers could unravel the mystery of how pollution spreads throughout the environment, ETH Life reports. These maelstroms may also help scientists develops ways to at least slow down the melting of global sea ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
key2thecup Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 trippy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pears Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Just a tad sketchy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayStation Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Throw some Scientist into the Atlantic Ocean to confirm pls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strawberries Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 I blame luongo for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbal23 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Throw some Scientist into the Atlantic Ocean to confirm pls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clark Kent Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 If I could choose my own death, I'd choose a black hole... Who knows, maybe there's something on the other side... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elvis15 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 You've been watching Big Bang Theory haven't you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 Percent Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 I blame luongo for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Sensationalist title given to common events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dittohead Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 I won't be going on an Ocean Cruise anytime soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 If I could choose my own death, I'd choose a black hole... Who knows, maybe there's something on the other side... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthecivil Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Sensationalist title given to common events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTania Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 If I could choose my own death, I'd choose a black hole... Who knows, maybe there's something on the other side... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heretic Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 I wonder if any are in the Bermuda triangle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Can we dump our trash in them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brahma Bull Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 you fool. its clearly gilliz fault Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthecivil Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Can we dump our trash in them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanford Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Before you even get to the blackhole your body will be crushed by the pressure under water, unless of course scientist make some submarines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Just a scientist trying to make a name for himself. Calling it a whirlpool or maelstrom wasn't good enough. A black hole is a totally different phenomenon. A black hole can bend and sucks in light. That's like comparing a match to the Sun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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