Tuesday, April 23, 2024

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0150Z April 24, 2024

SMOKE:
Southeastern United States...
Numerous light to medium density plumes attributed to widespread
seasonal burning were observed throughout the southeastern U.S. today,
concentrated mostly within the Gulf States and were generally moving
north. A significant amount of heavy smoke was observed in the panhandle
of Florida.

New Mexico...
Two possible wildfires in western New Mexico was releasing mostly light
to moderate smoke that was observed moving generally northeast across
the state as evening approached.

AEROSOL/SMOKE:
Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea/Central-Southern Mexico/Cuba/Central
America/Pacific Ocean...
A large area of light to moderate density smoke attributed to widespread
seasonal fire activity throughout central-southern Mexico, Central
America, and northern South America extended from the Gulf of Mexico
through the western portion of the Caribbean Sea, central-southern Mexico,
Central America and into the Pacific Ocean off the southwest coastline
of Mexico. Areas of slightly more dense smoke and aerosols were observed
over southern Mexico and the Bay of Campeche. Aerosols from a composite
of volcanic emissions and industrial sources in Mexico, and gas flaring
activity in the Bay of Campeche contributed to the expansive area of
aerosol/smoke observed throughout these regions this morning.


DUST:
Caribbean Sea/Atlantic Ocean…
Moderate density Saharan dust continues to progress off the African coast
and extends west into the eastern and central Atlantic ocean. The leading
edge of this moderate dust has now entered the far eastern Caribbean Sea.

Currier


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.