VIX Spike vs VIX Swell

Here's a visual summary comparing and contrasting a spike in the VIX versus a swell (slow move up).

When the VIX spiked, the market continued to move up. When the VIX swelled (a slower move up), the market sold off.

This concept, and the charts, were shared by Jim Cramer on MadMoney (CNBC) based on an analysis by Mark Sebastian.