DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z February 26, 2022
SMOKE: Florida/Georgia/Eastern Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast U.S. Coast… A batch of remnant thin density smoke from recent significant seasonal fire activity in Florida, Georgia, and the eastern Carolinas was seen this morning over much of Florida, southeastern Georgia, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast U.S. coast. In addition, numerous newly forming smoke plumes were visible this morning with seasonal fires in southern Alabama, southern Georgia, and much of Florida. Cuba/Caribbean Sea/Southern Gulf of Mexico/Yucatan Peninsula… An area of leftover thin density smoke primarily from seasonal fire activity in Cuba was seen moving to the west off the western tip of Cuba and over the far northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula and the southern Gulf of Mexico. Farther to the east, another smaller patch of leftover thin density smoke from seasonal fires in eastern Cuba was visible moving to the southwest and off the coast of southeastern Cuba over the Caribbean. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Bay of Campeche/Gulf of Mexico/Southern and Eastern Mexico/Northwestern Central America/Pacific Ocean South of Mexico and Central America... The usual combination of thin to moderate density smoke from seasonal fires in Mexico and Central America and other atmospheric pollutants including aerosols from oil and gas flaring and other industries in the region was visible today over a portion of the Bay of Campeche and the far southwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico, portions of southern, central, and eastern Mexico, northwestern Central America, and the Pacific Ocean extending well off the southern coast of Mexico and Central America. Within the larger mass of thin density smoke/aerosol were embedded areas of moderate density smoke/aerosol which were more prevalent over southern Mexico and extending to the south off the coast of southern Mexico over the Pacific Ocean. JS 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 map: https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg Smoke data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Smoke_Polygons Fire data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Fire_Points ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO: SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov