DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z December 9, 2022
SMOKE: Southeastern U.S/Atlantic Ocean off the Southeastern U.S. Coast… A large patch of thin density smoke was observed in the approximate area from Louisiana extending eastward to off the southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida coastline. The light smoke was likely due to seasonal and agricultural burning across the southeastern U.S. with some potential contribution from seasonal fires and aerosols from Mexico and Central America. SMOKE/AEROSOLS: Southern Texas/Western Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche/Southern and Southwestern Mexico/Northwestern Central America/Pacific Ocean off the Southern Coast of Mexico… Sizable areas composed of light density smoke from seasonal fires in Mexico and Central America mixed in with aerosols originating from gas flaring activity in the Bay of Campeche and urban/industrial activity in Mexico were visible this morning over a significant portion of the coastal areas of southern and southwestern Mexico, northwestern Central America, and extending to the south of these regions over the Pacific Ocean. More thin density smoke mixed with other aerosols was seen over eastern Mexico and the Bay of Campeche stretching to the north into southern Texas. Western Cuba/Caribbean/Yucatan Peninsula… A batch of what is likely thin density smoke from seasonal fire activity in western Cuba mixed with other aerosols from industrial pollution in Cuba was noted this morning moving to the southwest over a small portion of the far western Caribbean Sea and over the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula. 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