DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1900Z February 3, 2016
SMOKE Gulf of Mexico: Thin remnant smoke can be seen extending northeastward from Mexico along an old frontal boundary. Fires in Mexico yesterday as well as from oil rigs in the Bay of Campeche are responsible for this smoke. Clouds may be obscuring some of the smoke. Additional aerosols including sulfates may also be mixed with the smoke. DUST Western Gulf of Mexico: Aerosol that is believed to be elevated dust particles can be seen over the western Gulf just behind the clouds associated with the frontal boundary. This dust may be the same dust that was seen over northwestern Texas yesterday. Other aerosols such as sulfates may be mixed in with the dust. Southern California: Aerosol is seen off the coast of the southern California and west of Baja California. This aerosol is thought to be Asian dust. The dust is being dragged southward by a weak offshore circulation. Sheffler 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