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Vorticity Figure 9 In the diagram above, a parcel of air is traveling through a trough. Notice that at the base of the trough, the parcel is curved slightly as it bends around the trough base. This extra curvature provides additional vorticity, so the parcel reaches maximum relative voriticity at the base of the trough. This same parcel continues to move into the "straightaway" to the right of the trough. The parcel is now straight; it lost the curvature provided in the base of the trough. This means that the parcel has less relative vorticity. As mentioned on the previous page, when the skater wanted to spin slower, he extended his arms (divergence). Likewise, as the parcel in this illustration loses vorticity, it diverges, or spreads out. This is why the parcel to the right of the trough is larger than the one at the base.