DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0030Z March 4, 2011

North Carolina/South Carolina/Georgia:
Several fire were observed in today's satellite imagery across portions
of central NC, SC and eastern GA.  The majority of these fires were seen
producing light-dense smoke plumes although one near Anson country,
NC and Richmond country, GA were producing moderately-dense smoke.
Most smoke plumes were found to be drifting westward.

Texas/Louisiana:
Fires burning in LA and TX contributed to some of the larger smoke
plumes seen today across the country.  Approximately a half dozen to
a dozen fires in central LA were producing heavy-dense smoke plumes
that were drifting northward towards the LA/AR border. A fire located
in a section of western Walker county, TX was producing a long-narrow
heavy-dense smoke plume that was also drifting northward. Several other
fires were producing light-dense smoke in the deep south of Texas.

Warren


Previous Discussion...
Gulf of Mexico:
An area of light aerosol, which is presumed to be remnant smoke, was seen
this morning moving westward in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and away from
the Florida coast.   This can be attributed to the agricultural burning
and possibly the wildfires in the southeastern United States.

Myrga


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. THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN
GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov

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.