PyroCbs in British Columbia

| August 12, 2017

Early on 12 August 2017 two pyroCbs formed in British Columbia, Canada. GOES-15 detected the smoke plume and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fire hot spots. The first pyroCb cloud (near 51.8º N, 123.2ºW) developed around 03:30 UTC . The second formed about 1.5 hours later, at 05:00 UTC (near 53.1º N,  121ºE). Starting at 03:00 UTC on 12 August, the animation below shows GOES-15 10.7 µm IR (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR (right). In the shortwave IR images, the darker black pixels indicate very hot IR brightness temperatures exhibited by the fire source regions. Since these pyroCbs formed after sunset, visible imagery was not available.

Using GOES-15 10.7 μm IR channel imagery, the cloud-top IR brightness temperature could be determined. The animation below shows the brightness temperature for the first pyroCb cloud reaching near -30ºC at 04:00 UTC (dark blue color enhancement). The second pyroCb reached -38ºC  at 05:30 UTC (green color enhancement). Even though from GOES-15 imagery these pyroCbs did not reach the -40ºC pyroCb threshold, higher spatial resolution GOES-16 imagery (not shown) indicated that both of these pyroCbs exhibited cloud-top IR brightness temperatures as cold as -42ºC .

GOES-15 20.7 µm IR channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

=====  12 August Update =====

Later in the evening on 12 August, 3 additional pyroCb clouds developed from the ongoing intense BC fires. A toggle between NOAA-18 Visible (0.63 and 0.86 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) and Longwave Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images is shown below.

NOAA-18 Visible (0.63 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) and Longwave Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images, with surface station plots in yellow [click to enlarge]

NOAA-18 Visible (0.63 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) and Longwave Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images, with surface station plots in yellow [click to enlarge]

A daytime Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color image is shown below, with VIIRS-detected fire locations plotted in red — a very large pall of exceptionally-dense smoke from the BC fires could be seen drifting northward as far as the Northwest Territories of Canada.

Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color image, with VIIRS-detected fire locations plotted in red [click to enlarge]

Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color image, with VIIRS-detected fire locations plotted in red [click to enlarge]

The Suomi NPP OMPS Aerosol Index product (below; courtesey of Colin Seftor) displayed AI values as high as 17.18.

Suomi NPP OMPS Aerosol Index [click to enlarge]

Suomi NPP OMPS Aerosol Index [click to enlarge]

===== 13 August Update =====

Suomi NPP OMPS Aerosol Index product [click to enlarge]

Suomi NPP OMPS Aerosol Index product [click to enlarge]

On 13 August, a maximum OMPS AI value of 39.91 was seen at around 21:13 UTC over the Northwest Territories of Canada (above) — according to Colin Seftor and Mike Fromm, this value surpassed the highest pyroCb-related AI value measured by TOMS or OMI (whose period of record began in 1979).

The north-northeastward transport of BC fire smoke — as well as a prominent increase in smoke from fires in northern Canada and the Prairies — was evident in an animation of daily composites of Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color images from 07-13 August (below).

Daily Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color image composites (07-13 August), with VIIRS-detected fire locations plotted in red [click to play animation]

Daily Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color image composites (07-13 August), with VIIRS-detected fire locations plotted in red [click to play animation]

More PyroCbs in British Columbia

| July 16, 2017

On 16 July 2017 two pyroCbs formed in the British Columbia. GOES-15 detected the smoke plume and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fires hot spots. The first pyroCb cloud (~51.8º N, 122.8ºW) formed around 21:00 UTC on 16 July . The second formed shortly after at 23:00 UTC around 52º N  122.5ºE. Starting at 20:00 UTC on 16 July, the animation below shows GOES-15 0.63 µm visible (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR (right) . In the shortwave IR images, the red pixels indicate very hot IR brightness temperatures exhibited by the fire source regions.

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

In addition, using GOES-15 10.7 μm IR channel the cloud-top IR brightness temperature could be found. The animation below, starting at 21:00 UTC on 16 July, shows the brightness temperature for the first pyroCb cloud reaching near  -42ºC at 21:30 UTC (green color enhancement). The second reaches around the same brightness temperature at 0:30 UTC on 17 July (green color enhancement).

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

A 1-km resolution NOAA-19 AVHRR 10.8 µm Infrared Window image (below;courtesy ofRené Servranckx) revealed a minimum cloud-top IR brightness temperature of -49.1º C (green color enhancement) for the first pyroCb at 21:27 UTC on 16 July.

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

Another 1-km resolution NOAA-19 AVHRR 10.8 µm Infrared Window image (below;courtesy ofRené Servranckx) revealed a minimum cloud-top IR brightness temperature of -50.6º C (yellow color enhancement) for the second pyroCb at 1:07 UTC on 17 July.

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

PyroCbs in British Columbia

| July 15, 2017

On 15 July 2017 two pyroCbs formed in the British Columbia. GOES-15 detected the smoke plume and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fires hot spots. The first pyroCb cloud (~52.7º N, 124ºW) formed around 23:30 UTC on 15 July . The second formed shortly after around 52.9º N  124.1ºE. Starting at 23:00 UTC on 15 July, the animation below shows GOES-15 0.63 µm visible (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR (right) . In the shortwave IR images, the red pixels indicate very hot IR brightness temperatures exhibited by the fire source regions.

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

In addition, using GOES-15 10.7 μm IR channel the cloud-top IR brightness temperature could be found. The animation below, starting at 0:00 UTC on 16 July, shows the brightness temperature for the first pyroCb cloud reaching near  -41ºC at 2 UTC (green color enhancement). However, the second pyroCb does not reach the -40ºC. A better resolution satellite confirms that this is a pyroCb.

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

A 1-km resolution NOAA-19 AVHRR 10.8 µm Infrared Window image (below;courtesy ofRené Servranckx) revealed a minimum cloud-top IR brightness temperature of -39.7º C (dark blue color enhancement) for the first pyroCb and -49.5º C for the second (green color enhancement) at 1:30 UTC on 16 July.

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

Suomi NPP OMPS Aerosol Index images (courtesy of Colin Seftor) shows the transport of smoke on 16 July . This shows max AI near the source of the pyroCb.

OMPS Aerosol Index image on 16 July

OMPS Aerosol Index image on 16 July

PyroCbs in Northwest Territories

| July 11, 2017

On 11 July 2017 two pyroCbs formed in the Northwest Territories. GOES-15 detected the smoke plume and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fires hot spots. The first pyroCb cloud (~65.6º N, 129.9ºW) formed around 23:30 UTC on 10 July . The second formed shortly after around 67.1º N  128ºE. Starting at 23:00 UTC on 10 July, the animation below shows GOES-15 0.63 µm visible (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR (right) . In the shortwave IR images, the red pixels indicate very hot IR brightness temperatures exhibited by the fire source regions.

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

In addition, using GOES-15 10.7 μm IR channel the cloud-top IR brightness temperature could be found. The animation below, starting at 0:00 UTC on 11 July, shows the brightness temperature for the first pyroCb cloud reaching near  -43ºC at 4 UTC (green color enhancement). However, the second pyroCb does not reach the -40ºC. A better resolution satellite confirms that this is a pyroCb.

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

A 1-km resolution NOAA-19 AVHRR 10.8 µm Infrared Window image (below;courtesy ofRené Servranckx) revealed a minimum cloud-top IR brightness temperature of -58.1º C (red color enhancement) for the first pyroCb and -55.9º C for the second (red color enhancement) .

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

PyroCb in Alaska

| July 9, 2017

On 09 July 2017 a pyroCb formed in Alaska. GOES-15 detected the smoke plumes and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fires hot spot. The pyroCb cloud (~67.5º N, 141.4ºW) formed around 3:00 UTC . Starting at 2:30 UTC on 09 July, the animation below shows GOES-15 0.63 µm visible (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR (right) . In the shortwave IR images, the red pixels indicate very hot IR brightness temperatures exhibited by the fire source regions.

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

In addition, using GOES-15 10.7 μm IR channel the cloud-top IR brightness temperature could be found. The animation below, starting at 3:00 UTC on 09 July, shows the brightness temperature for the pyroCb cloud reaching near  -40ºC at 4 UTC (green color enhancement).

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

A 1-km resolution NOAA-19 AVHRR 10.8 µm Infrared Window image (below;courtesy ofRené Servranckx) revealed a minimum cloud-top IR brightness temperature of -55.5º C (red color enhancement) for the pyroCb at 2:10 UTC.

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

Suomi NPP OMPS Aerosol Index images (courtesy of Colin Seftor) shows the transport of smoke on 08 July . This shows max AI near the source of the pyroCb.

OMPS Aerosol Index image on 08 July

OMPS Aerosol Index image on 08 July

PyroCb in Yukon

| July 9, 2017

On 09 July 2017 a pyroCb formed in Yukon. GOES-15 detected the smoke plumes and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fires hot spot. The pyroCb cloud (~65.6º N, 129.9ºW) formed around 0:00 UTC . Starting at 0:00 UTC on 09 July, the animation below shows GOES-15 0.63 µm visible (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR (right) . In the shortwave IR images, the red pixels indicate very hot IR brightness temperatures exhibited by the fire source regions.

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

In addition, using GOES-15 10.7 μm IR channel the cloud-top IR brightness temperature could be found. The animation below, starting at 1:00 UTC on 09 July, shows the brightness temperature for the pyroCb cloud reaching near  -40ºC at 4 UTC (green color enhancement).

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

A 1-km resolution NOAA-19 AVHRR 10.8 µm Infrared Window image (below;courtesy ofRené Servranckx) revealed a minimum cloud-top IR brightness temperature of -49.5º C (green color enhancement) for the pyroCb at 2:12 UTC.

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)

NOAA-19 AVHRR 0.64 µm visible (top left), 3.7 µm shortwave IR (top right), 10.8 µm IR window (bottom left) and false-color RGB composite image (bottom right)