Starting on 03 May there have been multiple pyroCb events in Alberta, Canada near Fort McMurray. The documentation of these events with accompanying images can be found at: http://pyrocb.ssec.wisc.edu/archives/1572. These fires continued to produce pyroCbs with the last pyroCb detected on 17 May. Since this is such a long period of time for pyroCbs to continually generate, massive amounts of smoke were injected into the troposphere. This smoke then moved with the general flow of weather systems and reached Europe by 22 May. The images below (courtesy of Colin Seftor) show the OMPS AI index from 20 May to 22 May. The first image on 20 May shows a high AI index extending from Canada into the Atlantic Ocean. By 21 May the smoke as moved across and is above the United Kingdom and Portugal. Then by 22 May the smoke is over Spain and further into continental Europe. These images are essential for understanding the transportation of the smoke from these pyroCbs.
OMPS AI Index on 20 May (click to enlarge)
OMPS AI Index on 21 May (click to enlarge)
OMPS AI Index on 22 May (click to enlarge)
Furthermore, the smoke can be seen by IAGOS aircraft flying form Chicago to Paris on 22 May. The image below (courtesy of Philippe) shows CO plumes over Chicago and Paris and a very high concentration of CO in the tropopause.
IAGOS flight data on 22 May (click to enlarge)
The smoke was detected using CALIPSO lidar data. The images below show the products of lidar (courtesy of Mike Fromm). The smoke can be seen between 50-65 N with the highest smoke around 54 N which is just south of Iceland. The first image below is the 532nm Total Attenuated Backscatter plot on 22 May from 04:07 UTC to 4:30 UTC. The smoke from this fires is indicated by a faint red color. The second image is 1064 nm Total Attenuated Backscatter plot, the smoke on this plot is indicated by a yellow/red color. The third image is the Depolarization image the smoke is indicated by a blue color. The fourth image is the Attenuated Ratio plot between 1064 nm and 532 nm. The smoke is indicated by magenta pixels. The fifth image is the Vertical Feature Mask. This plot shows the different features that are in the atmosphere, the smoke is attributed as a cloud on this plot and is indicated by a yellow color.
CALIPSO 532 nm Total Attenuated Backscatter on 22 May(click to enlarge)
CALIPSO 1064 nm Total Attenuated Backscatter on 22 May (click to enlarge)
CALIPSO Depolarization Ration on 22 May (click to enlarge)
CALIPSO Attenuated Color Ratio between 1064 nm and 532 nm on 22 May (click to enlarge image)
CALIPSO Vertical Feature Mask on 22 May (click to enlarge image)