DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z April 13, 2015
SMOKE Gulf of Mexico: A large area of light density smoke continues to be observed in satellite imagery throughout the southwest Gulf of Mexico and was moving to the northwest. This area of smoke originated from agricultural/prescribed burning in Central America and oil rigs in the Bay of Campeche. Light density remnant smoke can be seen along Mexico's coastline; although upper level clouds partially obscure the remnant smoke in the western Gulf of Mexico. DUST Pacific Northwest: Another round of elevated dust that originated from Asia was detected in the Pacific Northwest this afternoon/evening. The elevated dust was optically thin and tracking eastward ahead of a low pressure system off the coast of British Columbia. -Cronin 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