Tuesday, May 25, 2010

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0115Z May 26, 2010

Great Lakes Region/Ontario/Quebec/Northern New England:
A large mass of aerosol was observed under the large upper level high
pressure ridge axis extending from the lower Great Lakes northward
into Ontario.  The aerosol then extended southeastward across southern
Quebec into northern New England. Apart from dense smoke moving north
northeastward from a fire in western Ontario, it is not known if the
aerosol is composed of any residual smoke.

Gulf of Mexico:
A distinct large patch of aerosol was visible through the day moving west
across the north central Gulf of Mexico. Smoke from a significant fire
in the Florida Panhandle yesterday may be contributing to this aerosol,
though it is not known how much smoke is present there.

Central US:
A swath of aerosol, which is likely partially composed of smoke and
possibly even blowing dust, stretches from Texas northward to the Central
and Northern Plains. Smoke from the seasonal fires burning in Mexico
and Central America may have been drawn northward and could be present
in these areas. Additionally, large fires in southern New Mexico and
northern New Mexico (near the Colorado border) are producing large smoke
plumes which are moving in a northeastward direction and are merging
with the band of aerosol over the Plains.

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.