GOES-16 (GOES-East) Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (above) revealed the thermal anomaly or “hot spot” of a fire burning at the Intercontinental Terminals Company petrochemical plant in Deer Park, Texas on 18 March 2019. Although the thermal signature was often partially masked by the passage of high clouds overhead, it was... Read More

1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-17 (GOES-West) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) revealed the southwestward motion of a dark smoke cloud resulting from a gas explosion and fire in South Los Angeles, California on the morning of 17 March 2019.A sequence of 5-minute “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images from... Read More

Very strong winds over the High Plains of Texas and New Mexico (associated with the extraordinary blizzard to the north) helped quickly spread a Grass Fire that developed over north Texas, north of Amarillo. (Tweet from NWS Amarillo is here). GOES-17’s Mesoscale Sector 1 was over the southern Plains, and viewed the fire development in... Read More

Large bushfires burning in the southern portion of the state of Western Australia produced three pyroCumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds on 01 March 2019. JMA Himawari-8 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed that the pyroCb clouds drifted southeastward after formation.Himawari-8 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images (below) further revealed the 3... Read More