DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0400Z March 6, 2012

Kansas/Nebraska/Oklahoma/Texas:
An area of elevated dust was observed over south-central Nebraska,
western and central Kansas, western Oklahoma including the panhandle,
and the far northeastern corner of the Texas panhandle. Strong winds
over the central Plains states were the cause of the blowing dust.

Midwest/Southern Mississippi River Valley:
Aerosol believed to be a combination of dust from Asia and the United
States continued to move across the Midwest today. This aerosol was viewed
over portions of Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Smoke
from a large amount of ag burning in Arkansas/Missouri was mixing with
this aerosol in places.

Gulf of Mexico/Florida/Atlantic:
A large area of aerosol covered the northern Gulf of Mexico, much
of southern and central Florida, and extended out over the Atlantic
ocean ahead of a low pressure system that was exiting the Mid-Atlantic
region. Most of this aerosol over the Gulf, Florida, as well as some of
the thicker aerosol off the Southeast US is believed to be remnant smoke
from fires the southern US over the past few days. The other aerosol
over the Atlantic is unknown aerosols that may be mixing with remnant
smoke. An area of smoke along the Florida panhandle tonight was from
today's fires in southern Mississippi and southern Alabama mostly.

Sheffler

THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT
AREAS SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME
DETACHED FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE
FIRE..TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST
ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF
THESE AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO
THE SOURCE FIRE 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
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT 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.