Thursday, March 20, 2014

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z March 21, 2014

Update!
Asian dust/sand and/or pollution --- Oregon:
An area of thin dust/sand and Asian pollution can be seen moving SSE
across Oregon covering the southern 2/3rds of the state.    Other patches
can be seen stretching across the Pacific generally south of the two
larger polar cyclones in the Western Gulf of Alaska and NW Pacific ---
along 45N from OR to about 160W then SE to 35N/175W then west again
to about 155E then SW  parallel to the Japanese coast from 35N155E to
25N135E to the northern tip of Luzon, Philippines.   Of course, density
increases further west toward Asia, as well as in the warm sectors/ridging
ahead of cyclones.

Dust/Sand:
Texas Panhandle:
Light density dust/loose soils can be seen starting around 21Z from
the eight counties bound by Oldham, Deaf Smith in the west and Gray and
Donley in the East of the Texas Panhandle moving rapidly NE (though the
bulk of the source is along/N of I-40).  It is currently as far NE as
Hansford to Beaver county OK and Ellis county, OK back to Gray county.

Smoke:
There is copious amounts of smoke across much of the eastern Great Plains,
Ozarks, and Deep South, from E TX to GA. Large agricultural and prescribed
burnings are producing thin to moderate smoke with isolated dense smoke
aloft from Ozark fires... though all can be traced back to their sources
using the GIS or JPEG links below

Gallina

THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS
OF 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.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/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.