Does Water circle clockwise in the southern hemisphere?

Travel Tips by from "South America Insider Adventures"

There is the myth that water will circle in a clockwise direction in the southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Some credible sources swear that it's true that water circles differently, and other say it's a myth. So, what's the truth about water circling in different directions on either side of the equator?

What better place to test this myth than on the equator itself? We went to the exact equator about 15 miles north of Quito Ecuador (only a 4.5 hour flight due south of Miami). It's cool to stand with one foot in each hemisphere:

The Middle of the World

A village called “Middle of the World” just a few miles north of Quito Ecuador is a great place to see the alleged "Coriolis Effect". Everyone knows that tornadoes and hurricanes rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern hemisphere, but there has been the age-old debate about whether water will circle in a different direction north or south of the equator.

My Garmin GPS acquired five satellites and confirmed that “Middle of the World” is approximately at zero degrees latitude,

The hogwash started almost immediately as our guide tried to make us believe that the exact point of the equator was somehow magical:

She claimed all sorts of magic nonsense happens at the exact equator:

That people weigh one kilo less when standing on the exact equator
That people are equal in strength on the equator
That you can balance a raw egg on a nail head, but only on the equator
And, or course, a "proof" that water vortexes clockwise south of the equator and circles counter-clockwise north of the equator.

Pull my Finger

The biggest crapload was the "proof" that people are more equally matched in strength at the equator. She asked me to pinch my forefinger to my thimb is a loop, and she tried to part my fingers, ten feet north of the equator and failed. Then when we moved to the exact equator and tried it again, she was magically able to part my finger. Amazing!

Examining the Coriolis effect

She went on to say that you must be at the exact equator to examine the Coriolis effect because the vortex difference can be observed as little as ten feet into the Northern of Southern hemispheres. Her "proof" that water vortexes in different directions, was much more subtle, and it took me awhile to figure-out how she pulled it off.

Here is the tub that she used for the "proof". First, she proved that water drains straight down on the exact equator, no vortexes:

She said that a simple, repeatable experiment can prove the fact that water drains in a different direction in each hemisphere (I'm always suspicious of proofs). At equatorial sites in South America (Brazil and Ecuador) they commonly have a pail of water and a wash basin so skeptical folks can test the Coriolis Effect for themselves.

Next, we step ten feet into the northern hemisphere, where water should circle counterclockwise. Can you see her trick? Take a close look below:

Sho' nuff, the water circled in a strong counter-clockwise vortex when she pulled the plug. Next we stepped ten feet into the southern hemisphere and repeated the "proof", with the water circling vigorously in a clockwise vortex.

I don't want to spoil the fun, but you can make water circle any way that you want with a subtle slight of hand trick. (hint: It's the way she pours-in the water).

Real facts about the equator

However, there are still some "real" interesting facts about the exact equator:

Days are always of equal length and sunrise and sunset at fixed times year-round.
There are no seasons at the equator.
There can be no tornadoes at the equator because of no centrifugal force from the rotating earth.
Because of the “equatorial bulge”, the equator is the farthest point from the center of the earth. In Quito Ecuador (elevation 9,000 feet), we are at the greatest distance from the center of the earth, approximately the same distance as the summit of Mt. Everest.

This is an excerpt from the book South America Insider Adventures by Rampant TechPress.

This is the definitive guide for the U.S. American traveler who seeks to safely explore South America. You can order it directly from the publisher and save over 30% at this link.