DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z March 25, 2022
SMOKE/AEROSOL/DUST: South Central and Southeastern U.S./Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche/Southern and Eastern Mexico/Central America/Pacific Ocean Well South of Mexico and Central America/Caribbean Region… A large mass of thin to moderate density smoke mixed with aerosols from oil and gas flaring and other industrial sources in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean region was visible this morning covering much of southern and eastern Mexico and Central America and extending well to the south of the southern coast of Mexico and Central America over the Pacific Ocean. The smoke/aerosol mix also stretched to the east over much of the Caribbean including portions of Cuba and Hispaniola and to the north over the Bay of Campeche, the Gulf of Mexico and up over portions of the South Central and Southeastern U.S. The moderate smoke/aerosol was visible over southern and eastern Mexico, the far southern part of the Bay of Campeche, part of Central America, the Pacific south of the southern coast of Mexico and Central America, and the southern Caribbean Sea. The smoke was due to the ongoing significant seasonal burning occurring in Mexico, Central America, and even northern South America per the moderate smoke over the southern Caribbean. Farther to the north, some of the smoke over the Gulf of Mexico and south central Texas was attributed to a couple of larger fires in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Also, it is possible that some remnant blowing dust kicked up by previous stronger winds over portions of the South Central and Southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico may be present mixed in with the smoke and other aerosols especially over Texas, northeastern Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico. 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