On 13 August 2020, Visible images from GOES-17 (GOES-West, positioned at 137.2ºW), GOES-15 (GOES-West backup, positioned at 128ºW), GOES-14 (on-orbit spare, positioned at 104.5ºW) and GOES-16 (GOES-East, positioned at 75.2ºW) (above) showed the morning dispersion of smoke from the Red Salmon Complex that had been burning in northern California. The images are displayed in the native projection of each satellite.

In southern California, Shortwave Infrared images from all 4 satellites (below) displayed thermal signatures (dark black to red pixels) from wildfires burning near Los Angeles. Thermal signatures varied between the 4 satellites, based upon differences in spatial resolution, viewing angle, and intermittent fire thermal signal attenuation by high clouds moving over the area. In the GOES-15 images, the occasional appearance of white pixels was due to a “roll-over” issue  — where extremely hot temperatures get displayed as cold (white).

GOES-15 was providing supplemental operations for GOES-17 during a period of maximum ABI Loop Heat Pipe thermal anomaly; GOES-14 had been brought out of storage for its annual 10-day test checkout.

The raw GOES data was acquired and processed by SSEC Satellite Data Services.

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1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed the eastward progression of a Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) that produced a long swath of damaging winds (SPC Storm Reports) or derecho from eastern Nebraska to Indiana on 10 August 2020. The highest measured wind gust was 112 mph in eastern Iowa at 1755 UTC.

The corresponding GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images are shown below.

In a comparison of Infrared Window images from Suomi NPP (11.45 µm) and GOES-16 (10.35 µm) at 1931 UTC (below), the higher spatial resolution of the VIIRS instrument detected infrared brightness temperatures as cold as -84ºC, compared to -76ºC with GOES-16 (the same color enhancement is applied to both images). The northwest parallax offset associated with GOES-16 imagery at this location was also evident.

GOES-16 Visible/Infrared Sandwich Red-Green-Blue (RGB) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images, with “probability of intense convection” contours and SPC Storm Reports, is shown below. The probability contours are produced from a deep-learning algorithm used to identify patterns in ABI and GLM imagery that correspond to intense convection. It is trained to highlight strong convection as humans would identify it. Work is ongoing to incorporate this storm-top information into NOAA/CIMSS ProbSevere.

A comparison of Terra MODIS True Color RGB images (source) from before (28 July) and after (11 August) the derecho (below) revealed very large swaths of wind-damaged crops (lighter shades of green) across Iowa. It is estimated that around 10 million acres of corn and soybean crops were flattened by the strong winds.

A toggle between VIIRS True Color RGB images from Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 visualized using RealEarth (below) also displayed the crop damage swath.

Shown below is a before/after (28 July/11 August) comparison of VIIRS Day/Night Band (DNB) imagery (source), where many of the areas across Iowa that suffered significant power outages — appearing darker (due to a lack of city lights) on the nighttime DNB images — corresponded to the large swaths of crop damage seen on the 11 August MODIS True Color image. Around 550,000 households lost power across the state.

Even 2 days later (on 12 August), many customers remained without power across Iowa (below), especially in Marshall County (where peak winds of 106 mph were recorded), Tama County (where peak winds of 90 mph were recorded) and Linn County (where peak winds of 112 mph were recorded).

Updated estimated wind speed map for the #derecho2020. #iawx #IowaDerecho pic.twitter.com/XMaAgc6oHT

— NWS Des Moines (@NWSDesMoines) August 20, 2020

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JMA Himawari-8 True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images created using Geo2Grid (above) displayed the gray to tan hues of a narrow west-to-east oriented volcanic ash cloud following an eruption of Mount Sinabung on 10 August 2020.

A sequence of Terra MODIS False Color RGB, Ash Probability, Ash Loading, Ash Height and Ash Effective Radius products from the NOAA/CIMSS Volcanic Cloud Monitoring site (below) showed various characteristics of the ash plume at 0415 UTC.

A plot of 00 UTC rawinsonde data from Medan (below) helped to explain the different ash height and ash transport characteristics — the higher-altitude portion of the ash plume was transported westward by easterly flow above the 500 hPa (5.9 km) level, while the lower-altitude portion moved eastward due to westerly winds below 500 hPa.

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GOES-16 (GOES-East) True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images created using Geo2Grid (above) showed widespread smoke from biomass burning across parts of Brazil (south of the Amazon River) on 09 August 2020. Most of this smoke was created by extensive burning during the previous day and evening — but later in the animation, several new smoke plumes can be seen growing from new fire activity.

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