Christofer Noering wrote :

> In a 'popular science book' I found an illustration of a northern
> hemisphere whirlpool (rotating anti-clockwise, I think) and a southern
> hemisphere (rotating clockwise), but in any case rotating in the
> opposite direction).  But is this really true?

Indeed it is true -- I once saw this phenomenon demonstrated on British
TV.  Two basins filled with water were placed a few feet apart, each on
opposite sides of the equator.  The plugs were pulled and the escaping
water in each basin rotated in opposite directions.  If there is a
logical explanation it is not known to me.

John Farrell
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles.htm