A VORTEX is a whirling mass of air or water that often forms a powerful and destructive force. It is commonly used to describe a whirlpool or tornado. A whirlpool is a large, swirling body of water created by the meeting of opposing currents. Tornadoes are powerful rotating columns of air that form over land and can cause significant destruction. Both whirlpools and tornadoes are examples of vortices.