DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1615Z July 18, 2009
Alaska/Canada/North Central US: Moderately dense to dense smoke continues to emanate from a number of fires burning across portions of Alaska and the Yukon province of northwestern Canada. The smoke from these fires has also spread a great distance over a number of days and was visible across a large portion of central Canada as well as the northern Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes. SO2 is likely mixed in with the smoke,especially across the US and central Canada, but it is not known which one is the dominant type. Four Corners: Remnant smoke from fires in Utah and Arizona was detected over the Four Corners region. Southern Florida/Northwest Caribbean/Bahamas/Southern Gulf of Mexico: A large area Saharan dust was apparent stretching from the southern Bahamas across Cuba and the northwestern Caribbean into the southern Gulf of Mexico. More information on the areas of smoke described above as well as 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