Thursday, December 16, 2021

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0400Z December 16, 2021

SMOKE:
Kansas/Oklahoma/Texas...
A large wildfire was observed Wednesday afternoon rapidly spreading
eastward over northwestern Kansas with a large light to moderate density
plume moving to the east.  Several other smaller wildfires with long,
narrow, light density plumes spreading off to the east-northeast were
found over western Kansas, the Oklahoma Panhandle, and the northern
Texas Panhandle.

AEROSOL/SMOKE:
Bay of Campeche/Mexico...
Atmospheric pollution likely associated with recent scattered seasonal
burning, gas flaring, and other industrial and urban activities was
detected along the Pacific shoreline of southwestern and southern
Mexico as well as inland over parts of Mexico and out over the Pacific
Ocean.  The atmospheric sulfate aerosol was also observed over parts of
the southern Bay of Campeche and along coastal regions of southeastern
Mexico.


DUST:
Southern and Central Plains...
A large area of dense blowing dust associated with an intense surface
low pressure area was observed across the Oklahoma Panhandle, western and
central Kansas, and central and eastern Nebraska.

Konon


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/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg
GIS:    ftp://satpsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/FIRE/HMS/GIS/
KML:    http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/fire.kml (fire)
        http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/smoke.kml (smoke)

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.