Eruption of Popocatépetl in Mexico
![GOES-16 Low-, Mid- and Upper-level Water Vapor (7.3 µm, 6.9 µm and 6.2 µm), Split Window Difference (10.3-12.3 µm) and Cloud Top Height product [click to play animation | MP4]](https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/images/2020/01/popo_swd-20200109_134617.png)
GOES-16 Low-, Mid- and Upper-level Water Vapor (7.3 µm, 6.9 µm and 6.2 µm), Split Window Difference (10.3-12.3 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]
The difference in speed and direction of ash transport was explained by plots of rawinsonde data from Mexico City and Acapulco at 12 UTC (below), which revealed stronger northwesterly winds within the 200-250 hPa pressure layer, with lighter southerly to southwesterly winds existing between 400 and 600 hPa.
At 1402 UTC a Mesoscale Domain Sector was positioned over Mexico — and 1-minute GOES-16 Ash RGB images created using Geo2Grid (below) tracked the distinct signature of the northern lower-altitude ash (brighter shades of pink to red) while the southern higher-altitude ash signature faded as it was more quickly dispersed by the stronger winds.![GOES-16 Ash RGB images {click to play animation | MP4]](https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/images/2020/01/GOES-16_ABI_RadM2_ash_2020009_140255Z.png)
GOES-16 Ash RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]
![GOES-16 Ash Height product [click to play animation MP4]](https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/images/2020/01/haimage_23.png)
GOES-16 Ash Height product [click to play animation MP4]