DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1745Z May 21, 2012

Desert Southwest:
Two distinct areas of remnant smoke can be seen across portions of
northern Arizona and southern Utah as well as southern New Mexico. The
first area of remnant smoke now mixing with some new smoke is from the
continuing wildfires burning through central Arizona. The second area of
smoke is from the large wildfire that is burning near the southern New
Mexico/Arizona border that is now producing heavy density smoke through
this region.

Northwest Mexico:
A large area of remnant and new smoke can be seen through the region
of northwestern Mexico from the numerous fires that continue to burn
through this region over the past several weeks.

Northern Alaska/Northern Yukon/Central Saskatchewan/Central US:
A very large area of what appears to be mostly remnant smoke possibly
mixed with some unknown aerosols can be seen from extreme northern Alaska
through northern Yukon/Northwest Territories and then southeastward into
central Saskatchewan and Manitoba and then through much of the central
US. This is most likely the remnant smoke from the Siberian wildfires.

Eastern Canada:
Another area of mostly light smoke mixed with some medium-density smoke
can be seen moving through eastern Canada and off the coast. Some of
this could be from the Siberian wildfires but I think the majority of
this particular area of smoke is from the very large wildfires that
recently started burning through southeastern Ontario and eastern Quebec.


-Belge



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.