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Power plant plumes in Minnesota

By Scott Bachmeier •

MODIS + GOES-12 fog/stratus product images

MODIS + GOES-12 fog/stratus BTD images [click to enlarge]

AWIPS images of the 1-km resolution MODIS 11.0-3.7 µm fog/stratus Brightness Temperature Difference (BTD) and the 4-km resolution GOES-12 fog/stratus BTD (above) showed the value of higher spatial resolution MODIS data for detecting power plant plumes embedded within the stratus clouds over northern Minnesota on 10 November 2008.  These plumes originated at large coal-fired power plants (or paper mills?) located across that region — emissions from these industrial sources acted as cloud condensation nuclei, causing a higher concentration of smaller supercooled cloud droplets downwind of the plume source.

The MODIS Cloud Top Temperature values in the plume region were around -13ºC (below, darker green color enhancement), and the MODIS Cloud Phase product indicated that the stratus clouds were composed of supercooled water droplets (blue color enhancement).

MODIS fog/stratus, IR, Cloud Top Temperature, and Cloud Phase images

MODIS fog/stratus BTD, Infrared Window (11.0 µm), Cloud Top Temperature and Cloud Phase images [click to enlarge]

GOES-12 Low Cloud Base product indicated that the stratus clouds had bases below 1000 feet (below, green color enhancement), while the GOES-12 Cloud Top Height product suggested that the tops of the stratus clouds were around 13,000 feet (lighter green color enhancement).

MODIS fog/stratus, GOES low cloud base, GOES cloud top height products

MODIS fog/stratus BTD, GOES low cloud base, and GOES cloud top height products [click to enlarge]

It is interesting to note that similar power plant plumes were also seen on the MODIS fog/stratus BTD product on the previous day (below), but without a stratus cloud deck over the region.

MODIS fog/stratus product images (09 and 10 November)

MODIS fog/stratus BTD images (09 and 10 November) [click to enlarge]

Categories: Fog detection, GOES-12, MODIS