Fires burning in far northern Paraguay on 29 September 2021 created a pyrocumulonimbus or pyroCb cloud — GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (above) showed the pyroCB cloud, fire thermal anomalies or “hot spots” (clusters of red pixels) and cold cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures, respectively. The minimum 10.35 µm temperature was -47.6ºC at 1840 UTC. Note the relatively warm (darker gray) appearance of the pyroCb cloud in the 3.9 µm images — this is a characteristic signature of pyroCb cloud tops, driven by the smoke-induced shift toward smaller ice particles (which act as more efficient reflectors of incoming solar radiation).

A Suomi-NPP VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) image at 1751 UTC as viewed using RealEarth (below) revealed cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures in the -60s C (shades of red). Surface temperatures at nearby sites had reached 38ºC (100ºF) by 18 UTC. 

South American pyrocumulonimbus clouds are fairly uncommon — since the first documented case in 2018, only 7 other pyroCbs have been identified over that continent. 

Thanks to Mike Fromm, NRL, for alerting us to this latest pyroCb case. Additional information is available from Metsul.com.

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According to the JPL site, there was a bright meteor (or bolide) on September 29, 2021 over the Gulf of Alaska. (The JPL and a similar NASA site are posted under the GLM tab on this link of links.) This event was seen by both the ABI and GLM on NOAA‘s GOES-17, as well as the AHI on Japan’s Himawari-8. What may be unique about his event is that the imagers monitored the meteor soon after it’s explosion, and not just the resulting plume (as was done in this case over Russia in 2013). This is based on the length of the event, during which the various spectral bands displayed a signature and other information.

GOES-17

The GLM and ABI observed this event, but given it’s faster readout, the GLM offers much more information than the ABI. The apparent location of the meteor as seen by the ABI is different than the reported location, in part due to parallax. More on the concept of parallax is available here.

Hotter brightness temperatures can be seen in the GOES-17 ABI band 12 at 10:50:59 UTC.

Indicative of a short duration event, coupled with how the ABI scans, the meteor signature was only clearly seen at one time in nearly every ABI spectral band (although possibly the ABI band 11 as well). Due to the layout of the focal plane array on the ABI, not all spectral bands observe the Earth at the precisely same time. [Figure a modification from the GOES-R Series Data Book.] A similar loop as above, but as an animated gif, is available here. In addition,. while a bit hard to see, the longwave split window infrared difference also showed a subtle signature of the meteor.

Spectral difference images (over time) can also be useful in the monitoring of meteors. An ABI 10.3 – 12.3 micrometer band difference is shown below. An shortwave minus longwave difference loop.

The GLM on GOES-17 also observed this event. A similar loop as below, but as an animated gif, is available.

The rapid movement of the meteor to the south is clearly evident. As well as the GLM group map and the key (blue is early times and red is later times).

As well as the changes over time, most likely monitoring the meteor break-ups.

More on the GLM’s light curves from NASA AMES.

AHI

Both the ABI and Japan’s AHI scan space around the edge of the Earth. However, with the ABI data the process of making calibrated, navigated, and remapped radiance only pixels located on the Earth are included in the Level 1b radiance files. Hence, the ABI may scan meteors in space, but the data are not available to most users.

A similar loop as above, but as an animated gif, is available here (and an 8-panel AHI image at this same time is available here). This example helps to illustrate that each AHI detector doesn’t sense radiation from the same exact location at the same time.

H/T

NOAA GOES–17 data were accessed via the University of Wisconsin-Madison SSEC Satellite Data Services. McIDAS-X and Geo2Grid was used to generate imagery. Thanks also to Todd Beltracchi and Scott Bachmeier, and to CIRA/RAMMB Slider images/movies.

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The ABI on NOAA‘s GOES-17 (GOES-West) was able to see the Landsat 9 rocket plume from Vandenberg Space Force base. The plume was most evident on ABI bands 7 (3.9 µm) and 8 (6.2 µm), using the mesoscale sector (1) on September 27, 2021.

The same animation as above, but as an animated gif. The 18:15 UTC image. CONUS and Full Disk 16-panel ABI images are also posted, for both GOES-16 and GOES-17. Similar, 6-panel (ABI bands 1-6) in both mp4 and animated gif formats where the plume shadow is evident.

The same “rocket plume” RGB animation as above, but as an animated gif. The 18:15 UTC image. A similar loop from AWIPS via Bill Line. More on the ‘rocket plume’ RGB: quick guide and CIMSS Satellite Blog post.

The plume shadow was also seen by the ABI, as noted in this NASA Earth Observation post.

How cool is this?
The GOES-17 weather satellite caught the rocket plume from yesterday's #Landsat 9 launch! ?
via @NASAEarth https://t.co/t4t6LVT0A3 pic.twitter.com/f8PR0DrxAA

— NASA Landsat (@NASA_Landsat) September 28, 2021

H/T

NOAA GOES–17 data are via the University of Wisconsin-Madison SSEC Satellite Data Services. McIDAS-X was used the generate the 16-panel imagery, while geo2grid was used to generate the ‘rocket plume’ RGB. Thanks also to Todd Beltracchi and Scott Bachmeier.

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Late September of 1985, saw the landfalls of Hurricane Gloria. More information. These NOAA GOES-6 animations are in both the infrared (window) and visible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Infrared

A still infrared image is from September 25, 1985. Note that cold temperatures are colored yellow, red and black.

Visible

A similar loop, as an animated gif. Also see this still image.

A larger Full Disk “sandwich” image from the same time as above.

H/T

H/T Brian McNoldy for reminding us of “his storm”:

"My Storm"…
On Friday, September 27, 1985, Hurricane #Gloria made its closest approach to southeast PA. I was in 4th grade in Reading PA, and the schools had closed in advance of the coming storm. Though we had many "snow days", that was my first and only "hurricane day".
1/3 pic.twitter.com/8BVN7pgGP2

— Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) September 27, 2021

More on Hurricane Gloria via AMS publications.

NOAA GOES-6 data are via the University of Wisconsin-Madison SSEC Satellite Data Services. McIDAS-X was used the generate the imagery. Of course the current generation of GOES imagers (ABI) provide much improved (spatial, spectral and temporal) imagery. Or see a CIMSS Satellite Blog post on Hurricane Sam.

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