Salt Lake PyroCb Event

GOES-15 visible (left) and infrared (right) images (click image to play animation)

GOES-15 visible (left) and infrared (right) images (click image to play animation)

Sparked on Saturday, August 11, the Tooele County wildfire continued to burn through Wednesday, August 14, belching a large amount of smoke into the atmosphere. GOES-15 visible imagery (above, left panel; click image to play) depicts a fair amount of smoke being ejected from the fire and a small pyrocumulonimbus cloud forming rapidly near the end of the day. Smoke from the Idaho fires can also be seen in the northwest corner of the image. The GOES-15 shortwave infrared imagery (above, right panel; click image to play) shows a strong heat signature in the vicinity of the fire (enhanced red pixels) that persists both before and during the pyroCb event.

GOES-15 longwave infrared image (click image to play animation)

GOES-15 longwave infrared image (click image to play animation)

The GOES-15 10.7 micron longwave infrared imagery (above; click image to play) shows the cloud-top temperatures of the small pyrocumulonimbus. These temperatures range between -30 and -40 degrees Celsius, indicating a fair amount of convection for this young fire.

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