DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z March 18, 2024

SMOKE:
Central United States…
Scattered agricultural burning this morning was observed producing a
handful of light smoke plumes that were seen moving southward.

AEROSOL/SMOKE:
Florida/Cuba/Gulf of Mexico/Yucatan Peninsula/Western Caribbean
Sea/Pacific Ocean south of Mexico/Central America...
An expansive area of light to moderate smoke/aerosol mix was seen
blanketing an area from the Gulf of Mexico to the Tropical Eastern
Pacific and western Caribbean. The smoke is the result of days of
agricultural burning across northern South America, Central America,
and southern and eastern Mexico. Some aerosol sources include gas
flaring, industrial sources, and perhaps Saharan Dust. The thickest
smoke/aerosol was observed over the western Gulf of Mexico and in the
southern Caribbean just offshore of northern South America. The smoke was
being shunted southward and eastward from the northern Gulf of Mexico
and the southeastern CONUS thanks to a cold frontal passage. Across
the western Caribbean, the smoke/aerosol is moving northwestward then
northward, merging with the smoke drawn east-northeastward from the Gulf
of Mexico. Some is also moving south through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
out into the Pacific.

Hosley


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

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.