Monday, April 19, 2010

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1800Z April 19, 2010


Ontario, Quebec, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic:
A large swath of aerosols that has been seen throughout the past week
continues to slowly make its way eastward across North America. In
this morning's G-11 imagery this area can been seen stretching from
Hudson Bay, over Lake Huron and Erie, through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Maryland, Northern Virgina and Delaware, and then out over the
Atlantic. The source and composition of this aerosol is uncertain, but
it is possible that it is blowing dust that originated in eastern Asia
mixing with remnant smoke from the numerous fires across the Plains.

Lower Mississippi Valley, Gulf of Mexico:
There is some remnant light smoke in the northern Gulf off the coast of
Louisiana. This area is most likely from the fires that have occurred
over that last several days.

Bay of Campeche:
In the southwestern Gulf of Mexico there is a moderately sized stationary
area of light remnant smoke from the large amount of fires in Mexico
and Guatemala.

-MS

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.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/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


 


Unless otherwise indicated:
  • Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.
  • Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.
  • A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.
  • Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.