DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z June 24, 2009
Pacific Northwest into southern Canadian Plains: The area of aerosol identified in the previous discussion was now seen stretching across northern California, much of Idaho and Montana and into southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. However, this does not appear to be smoke but rather sulphur dioxide (SO2) from a volcanic eruption in the Kuril Islands south of Kamchatka several days ago. The smoke which is depicted in this area in the graphics is therefore not correct, but rather represents the extent of the SO2. Mid Mississippi Valley to the western Great Lakes: An area of remnant light smoke was seen in satellite imagery prior to sunset from southwest Indiana and into western Kentucky, Tennessee and the Missouri Bootheel. Alaska: Areas of smoke depicted in the graphics over portions of northeast Alaska and into the Northwest Territory and Yukon, as well as over the northern Gulf of Alaska is not smoke but rather SO2 from the volcanic eruption noted above. Ruminski More information on additional areas of smoke associated with these fires and others can be found at the locations listed below. THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE: JPEG: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/hms.html GIS: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm KML: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov