DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z May 12, 2015
SMOKE: Western Canada/Central Canada: A large relatively stationary area of light density smoke was observed across western and central Canada this afternoon/evening in GOES-13/GOES-15 visible imagery. Elevated trans-Pacific remnant smoke from Asia can be seen throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories. Within this area of remnant smoke, several embedded strands of smoke from yesterday's wildfires in northern British Columbia can be seen stretching to the northeast from NE British Columbia up to Great Bear Lake in the NW Territories. Wildfires in northern Alberta continue to produce light density smoke which is moving to the northeast. Numerous agricultural and prescribed burns in southern Saskatchewan contributed to light density smoke plumes which are moving to the southwest. Western Gulf of Mexico: A mixture of light density smoke and Saharan dust was detected in the Gulf of Mexico moving to the northwest into the US Gulf Coast. The light density smoke spans from the Gulf of Campeche to the Texas Coastline and originated from agricultural/prescribed burns in Central American and Cuba as well as oil exploration in the Bay of Campeche. AEROSOLS; Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico/Eastern U.S: A diffuse area of aerosols can be seen in the Caribbean, US southeast, along the eastern US coastline and into the Gulf of Mexico. The primary composition of this aerosol is believed to be Saharan dust in the Caribbean and the eastern US while the Gulf of Mexico is mostly composed of light density smoke. Tropical depression Ana helped to transport Saharan dust from the Caribbean up to the New England coastline. Besides the US southeast the aerosol is mostly staying offshore along the US coastline. -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