DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z May 12, 2012

Arizona:
Blowing dust originating in Maricopa County around 11/2245Z moved to
the NE this evening.  This area of light dust moved through the Phoenix
metro area.

California:
An area of blowing dust and sand began in Imperial County this evening
around 12/0015Z.   The dust remained local and remained over the southern
Salton Sea by sunset.

Sonora (Mexico):
A dense area of blowing dust and sand started west of Caborca around
11/2015Z and moved to the NE into Arizona around Santa Cruz and Pima
Counties by sunset.

Saskatchewan/Montana/North Dakota:
Around sunset this evening, a dense ribbon of aerosol, likely of Asian
origin, was
viewed moving through Saskatchewan, Montana, and North Dakota.
The composition is unknown, but it could be a mixture of Siberian smoke
and Asian dust.

Myrga


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.