DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0045Z April 27, 2010
Smoke: Central Gulf of Mexico: A large fire yesterday SW of Harmon in Ellis county produced moderate smoke that can still be seen this evening and has thinned out in density and width of the line over the last 6hrs or so. The smoke extends 250km in a 10km wide SW to NE line now over 650km SE of Galveston, TX or 450km NW of Merida, MX. The smoke continues to rapidly move SE. An unknown though likely smoke/smog can be seen across the eastern Central GoM ~86W. This line is about 81km wide in a line that reaches from the NNW to the SSE just south of 25N85W where the line widens (more like a L or S shape). The northern portion of this line was moving E while the central and southern portions were moving SE or even S. Interestingly, the northern portion of this area became more dense through midday where it appeared the source was emitting from the Horizon Oil Platform/Oil Slick region...even though the rig sunk (Psbl emissions from numerous ships in the region or bubbling up smoke?) Yucatan Peninsula/Ext SE Gulf of Mexico: Remnant smoke from numerous fires over S and E Mexico remain SE of a former frontal boundary that has shunted SE now extending from the Tabasco/Bay of Campeche coastline across the Yucatan to Cozumel then over to Western Cuba to the Florida Keys and Andros Island in the Bahamas. The smoke is moving NE within the flow affecting the S Yucatan, S Mexico, Belize into C Cuba. Unknown: Florida Atlantic Coast: An area of unknown aerosol, possibly dust from New Mexico 2 days ago, can be seen moving E and NE off of Cape Canaveral about 90 miles wide and 300km long from the Cape toward the NE (in the clear slot of SWly flow aloft). Gallina 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