Saturday, May 19, 2012

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0245Z May 20, 2012


Northern Mexico/Southern and Central Plains/Mississippi Valley/Great
Lakes Region:
A very large mass of primarily thin density aerosol covered an area
extending from Northern Mexico and the western Gulf of Mexico to at least
as far north as the Great Lakes region and southern Ontario Province in
Canada. This aerosol was believed to be composed of left over smoke from
the larger fires burning in central Arizona and western New Mexico as
well as the ongoing seasonal fires in northern and western Mexico. Other
contributions to the smoke are due to numerous agricultural fires detected
in the lower Mississippi Valley region from eastern Arkansas/western
Mississippi to central Louisiana. The smoke from these fires moved to
the west and northwest during the afternoon. Finally, it is possible that
even some smoke from the Siberian fires is also present in this region.

Arizona/New Mexico:
Several moderately dense to thick smoke plumes emanated from fires
burning in central Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. The smoke from
the Arizona fires fanned out as it moved to the south and east while
smoke from the New Mexico fires moved more in an easterly direction.

Western Canada/Northern Montana:
Thin to locally moderately dense remnant smoke from the Siberian fires
was detected moving to the east and southeast across eastern British
Columbia, Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and western Manitoba provinces
in Western Canada. The leading edge of the smoke was approaching northern
Montana and far northwestern North Dakota just prior to sunset.

Eastern Canada:
Thin density left over smoke was visible through the day moving to the
east and northeast across central Quebec Province and the Canadian
Maritimes and out over the Atlantic. This left over smoke was also
believed to be mainly from the Siberian fires.

JS

Earlier this Morning...
Alaska/Northwest Canada:
High-level remnant smoke from large Siberian fires remains over
Northwestern Canada and Alaska.  The smoke did not appear to be moving
very much as it is caught up light upper level flow over the area.

Liddick


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.