DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2315Z February 24, 2007
Smoke: North Carolina: A very large fire is producing dense smoke in far eastern Carteret county in the Cerder Island N.W.R. A small fire across the South River from the town of South River in Carteret produced thin to moderately dense smoke that joined the main plume. The plume extended SSE over 207km from the source or 200km into the Atlantic. The plume was on average 31km, but has been becoming more diffuse particularly over the last 2-3hrs near the source region...though the initial burst is still quite dense. A fire east of Camp LaJune in Onslow county produced light to thin smoke that moved SE offshore about 115km. This has mixed a bit with a secondary thin smoke plume from a fire on the western side of Camp LaJune (west of New Inlet). South Carolina: A fire near Johnsville in Colleton county has produced a moderately dense puff of smoke that can be seen below the increasing cirrus. This smoke was moving due North with a slight bend toward the NNE and extends 39km from the source near Bowman in Orangeburg county. Dust/Sand: Texas/Oklahoma/W. Arkansas A vigorous deepening cyclone is progressing across W Ok into SE KS today with very strong westerly jet streak that has mixed downward to the surface, and subsequently produced a large area of dense sand/dust. The main source regions today have been the loose/dry soils of the southern cap rock in Gaines/Terry/Dawson/Martin/Howard/Borden counties. The sand storm extends in a 200km wide plume from the source to the Bosque/Coryell/McLennan region of central TX under 20-30 mph winds. The dense plume then bends toward the NE (under strong Swly winds behind the dryline) to SW OK into McCurtain county and thins down to about 115km wide, though a larger 75km wide area of thin sand can be seen west of the line particularly in OK. Though the entire plume is translating toward the East as a whole...the last leg of the plume extends from McCurtain county along the OK/AR boarder as far north as the main upper level cyclone center near Miami (with a little wrap back toward Tulsa). This section is only 83km wide but is moving very quickly eastward into AR. The plume will continue to progress into N LA around sunset. Nighttime detection is a bit more difficult...without visible imagery, but one can load channel 2 imagery (3.9 um wavelength) and track it overnight considering the high density. Gallina