Sunday, March 13, 2011

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0015Z March 14, 2011

Southeast Atlantic Coast to Mid-Atlantic Coast:
The elongated patch of light smoke seen this morning extending from
the southeast and mid Atlantic coast to the northeast had moved little
by sunset. The smoke was thin and likely remnant smoke from mostly
agricultural fires over the southeast and the central Plains the past
couple of days. Numerous fires over South Carolina and Georgia this
afternoon/evening were producing another round of smoke cover a broad
area of the region and mainly moving to the northeast.

Florida/Bahamas/Cuba
A patch of light smoke was drifting westward across the Florida Keys and
into the eastern Gulf. This is likely remnant smoke from fires burning
in the Bahamas. Additional fires were burning on several of the Bahama
Island this afternoon/evening and another surge of light to moderately
dense smoke was moving to the west toward southeast Florida and the
Florida Straight. Fires burning across Cuba were generating light to
moderately dense smoke which was mostly drifting to the southwest into
the northwest Caribbean.

Southwest Gulf of Mexico:
Smoke from the oil rigs in the Bay of Campeche was seen extending from
the source toward the northwest where it mixed with clouds off the south
coast of Texas.


Ruminski

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.