PyroCb in Wyoming

| July 6, 2017

On 05 July 2017 a pyroCb formed in Wyoming from the Keystone Fire. GOES-15 detected the smoke plumes and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fires hot spot. The pyroCb cloud (~41.2º N, 106.3ºW) formed around 22:00 UTC . Starting at 20:00 UTC on 05 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 06 July, shows the brightness temperature for the pyroCb cloud reaching near  -33ºC at 1 UTC (dark green color enhancement). This is brightness temperature does not reach the -40ºC. However, this pyroCb event was confirmed with a better resolution satellite.

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 -45.7º C (green color enhancement) at 1:06 UTC on 06 July for the pyroCb event.

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 Russia

| July 1, 2017

On 01 July 2017 a pyroCb formed in Russia. Himawari-8 detected the smoke plume and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fires hot spots. The pyroCb cloud (~62.5º N, 123ºE) formed around 5:00 UTC . Starting at 4:30 UTC on 01 July, the animation below shows Himawari-8 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.

HIMAWARI-8 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

HIMAWARI-8 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

In addition, using Himawari-8 10.4 μm IR channel the cloud-top IR brightness temperatures could be found. The animation below, starting at 5:00 UTC on 01 July, shows the brightness temperature for the pyroCb cloud reaching near  -57ºC around 6:30 UTC (red color enhancement).

HIMAWARI-8 10.4 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

HIMAWARI-8 10.4 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 -57.7º C (red color enhancement) for the pyroCb at 5:44 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)

PyroCb in Yukon

| June 23, 2017

On 23 June 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 (~66º N, 137.5ºW) formed around 1:00 UTC . Starting at 0:00 UTC on 23 June, 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 2:00 UTC on 23 June, shows the brightness temperature for the pyroCb cloud reaching near  -47ºC at 5 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)

Two PyroCbs in Russia

| June 22, 2017

On 22 June 2017 two pyroCbs formed north of Lake Baikal in eastern Russia. Himawari-8 detected the smoke plume and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fires hot spots. The first pyroCb cloud (~58.3º N, 105ºE) formed around 8:30 UTC . The second formed shortly after around 58.9º N  106.9ºE. Starting at 8:00 UTC on 22 June, the animation below shows Himawari-8 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.

HIMAWARI-8 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

HIMAWARI-8 0.63 µm visible channel (left) and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (right) (click to play animation)

In addition, using Himawari-8 10.4 μm IR channel the cloud-top IR brightness temperatures could be found. The animation below, starting at 8:00 UTC on 22 June, shows the brightness temperature for the first pyroCb cloud reaching near  -60ºC around 10:30 UTC (red color enhancement). The second pyroCb reached near -40ºC  (green color enhancement) near the same time.

HIMAWARI-8 10.4 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

HIMAWARI-8 10.4 µm IR channel images (click to play animation)

A 1-km resolution NOAA-19 AVHRR 10.8 µm Infrared Window image (below;courtesy of René Servranckx) revealed a minimum cloud-top IR brightness temperature of -57.7º C (red color enhancement) for the first pyroCb and -46.1º C for the second (green 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)

The smoke was detected using CALIPSO lidar data (images courtesy of Mike Fromm). The images below show the products of lidar . The smoke can be seen ~65 N which is north of the pyroCb. The first image below is the 532nm Total Attenuated Backscatter plot on 23 June from 19:07 UTC to 19:30 UTC. The smoke from this fires is indicated by a gray color. The second image is 1064 nm Total Attenuated Backscatter plot, the smoke on this plot is indicated by a gray color. The third image is the Depolarization image the smoke is indicated by a red color. The fourth image is the Attenuated Ratio plot between 1064 nm and 532 nm. The smoke is indicated by light blue 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 light blue color.

CALIPSO 532 nm Total Attenuated Backscatter on 23 June

CALIPSO 532 nm Total Attenuated Backscatter on 23 June

CALIPSO 1064 nm Total Attenuated Backscatter on 23 June

CALIPSO 1064 nm Total Attenuated Backscatter on 23 June

CALIPSO Depolarization Ration on 23 June

CALIPSO Depolarization Ration on 23 June

CALIPSO Attenuated Color Ratio between 1064 nm and 532 nm on 23 June

CALIPSO Attenuated Color Ratio between 1064 nm and 532 nm on 23 June

CALIPSO Vertical Feature Mask on 23 June

CALIPSO Vertical Feature Mask on 23 June

PyroCb in Utah

| June 21, 2017

On 22 June 2017 a pyroCb formed from the Brian Head Fire in Utah. GOES-15 detected the smoke plumes and pyroCb cloud, as well as the fire hot spot. The pyroCb cloud (~37.7º N, 112.8ºW) formed around 23:30 UTC . Starting at 23:00 UTC on 21 June, 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)

Usually GOES-15 10.7 μm IR channel data is used to analyze the cloud-top IR brightness temperatures. However, due to the 4-km resolution of the satellite the brightness temperature never reached the -40ºC threshold.A 1-km resolution NOAA-19 AVHRR 10.8 µm Infrared Window image (below;courtesy of René Servranckx) revealed a minimum cloud-top IR brightness temperature of -42.7º C (light blue color enhancement) for the pyroCb.

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 22 June . This max AI was 6.4 at 37.8 N 112.4 W at 20:38 UTC. This is near the source of the pyroCb.

OMPS Aerosol Index image on 23 June

OMPS Aerosol Index image on 22 June

PyroCb in Yukon

| June 20, 2017

On 19 June 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 (~66º N, 137ºW) formed around 23:30 UTC . Starting at 22:00 UTC on 19 June, 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 20 June, shows the brightness temperature for the pyroCb cloud reaching near  -47ºC at 5 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)

Suomi NPP OMPS Aerosol Index images (courtesy of Colin Seftor) shows the transport of smoke on 20 June . This max AI was 5.3 at 66 N 142.7 W at 23:06 UTC. This is west of the pyroCb.

OMPS Aerosol Index image on 20 June

OMPS Aerosol Index image on 20 June