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Natural gas line explosion and fire in Kentucky

By Scott Bachmeier •

An explosion and fire along a natural gas pipeline occurred between Junction City and Moreland in central Kentucky on 01 August 2019 (media story 1 | media story 2). GOES-16 (GOES-East) Fire Temperature, Fire Power, Fire Area and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (above) showed the thermal signature of the fire — the Fire Temperature... Read More

GOES-16 Fire Temperature (top left), Fire Power (top right), Fire Area (bottom left) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, bottom right) [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 Fire Temperature (top left), Fire Power (top right), Fire Area (bottom left) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, bottom right) [click to play animation | MP4]

An explosion and fire along a natural gas pipeline occurred between Junction City and Moreland in central Kentucky on 01 August 2019 (media story 1 | media story 2). GOES-16 (GOES-East) Fire Temperature, Fire Power, Fire Area and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (above) showed the thermal signature of the fire — the Fire Temperature peak of 2438.8 K occurred at 0536 UTC, with the maximum Fire Power of 1102.8 MW and the highest 3.9 µm brightness temperature of 103.6ºC occurring at 0526 UTC. More information on these GOES Fire Detection and Characterization Algorithm (FDCA) products can be found here.

In a corresponding comparison of GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm), Near-Infrared “Cloud Particle Size” (2.24 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (below), thermal signatures were also seen in the Near-Infrared imagery — and a dim signature of this nighttime fire was even apparent in the Visible imagery! The surface observations from Danville Stuart Powell Field Airport are plotted in yellow; the winds were light, minimizing smoke dispersion — but note that the visibility briefly dropped from 10 miles to 7 miles at 07 UTC (possibly due to some smoke drifting over the airport). 

GOES-16 "Red" Visible (0.64 µm, top left), Near-Infrared "Snow/Ice" (1.61 µm, top right), Near-Infrared "Cloud Particle Size" (2.24 µm, bottom left) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, bottom right) [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, top left), Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm, top right), Near-Infrared “Cloud Particle Size” (2.24 µm, bottom left) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, bottom right) [click to play animation | MP4]

In a comparison of the 4-panel image sets at 0526 UTC (below), the higher spatial resolution of the 0.64 µm (0.5 km*) and 1.61 µm (1 km*) images helped to refine the actual location of the fire. [*at satellite sub-point]

GOES-16 4-panel images at 0526 UTC [click to enlarge]

GOES-16 4-panel images at 0526 UTC [click to enlarge]

With the higher spatial resolution of Suomi NPP VIIRS  and Aqua MODIS Shortwave Infrared imagery, the size and location of the fire’s thermal signature was more accurate when compared to GOES-16 (below). For example, even during the later stage of the fire at 0737 UTC, the VIIRS Shortwave Infrared brightness temperature was 32.0ºC, compared to only 17.9ºC with GOES-16.

Suomi NPP VIIRS Shortwave Infrared (3.74 µm, top left), GOES-16 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, top right), Aqua MODIS Shortwave Infrared (3.7 µm, bottom left) and GOES-16 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, bottom right) images [click to enlarge]

Suomi NPP VIIRS Shortwave Infrared (3.74 µm, top left), GOES-16 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, top right), Aqua MODIS Shortwave Infrared (3.7 µm, bottom left) and GOES-16 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, bottom right) images [click to enlarge]

The bright glow of the fire was also evident in a Suomi NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) image at 0651 UTC (below).

Suomi NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.74 µm) images [click to enlarge]

Suomi NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.74 µm) images, with city names and highways  [click to enlarge]

A thermal signature of the fire (darker red to black pixels) was also seen in GOES-14 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (below).

GOES-14 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images [click to enlarge]

GOES-14 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images [click to enlarge]

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GOES-14 is brought out of storage

By Scott Bachmeier •

GOES-14 was brought out of storage on 31 July 2019, for its annual week of Image Navigation and Registration (INR) testing and a North/South station-keeping maneuver — the first few hours of Full Disk Visible (0.63 µm) images are shown above. The SSEC Satellite Data Services group was able to position a spare... Read More

GOES-14 Visible (0.63 µm) images [click to enlarge]

GOES-14 Visible (0.63 µm) images [click to enlarge]

GOES-14 was brought out of storage on 31 July 2019, for its annual week of Image Navigation and Registration (INR) testing and a North/South station-keeping maneuver — the first few hours of Full Disk Visible (0.63 µm) images are shown above. The SSEC Satellite Data Services group was able to position a spare rooftop antenna to receive the GOES-14 data during this test.

A closer look at the southwestern portion of Hudson Bay (below) revealed a large and anomalously-late area of First-year ice off the coast of Ontario.

GOES-14 Visible (0.63 µm) images [click to enlarge]

GOES-14 Visible (0.63 µm) images [click to enlarge]

In addition to the Imager, the GOES-14 Sounder is also operating. Recall that the sounder provides 18 infrared spectral bands and one visible band (below). A combined image showing both the Sounder and Imager bands has been generated.

Sample GOES-14 multi-spectral image

GOES-14 Sounder mult-spectral animation from August 1, 2019 [click to play animation]

GOES-14 Sounder imagery are being posted in near real-time during this annual test.

===== 01 August Update =====

GOES-14 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images [click to enlarge]

GOES-14 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images [click to enlarge]

GOES-14 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (above) revealed the warm thermal anomaly or “hot spot” (darker red to black pixels) resulting from a natural gas explosion and fire in central Kentucky on 01 August (blog post).

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Hurricane Erick in the East Pacific Ocean

By Scott Bachmeier •

1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-17 (GOES-West) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (above) showed the well-defined eye of Hurricane Erick on 30 July 2019. Mesovortices could be seen within the eye on the visible imagery, along with periodic convective bursts within the surrounding eyewall region — and cloud-top infrared brightness... Read More

GOES-17

GOES-17 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-17 (GOES-West) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (above) showed the well-defined eye of Hurricane Erick on 30 July 2019. Mesovortices could be seen within the eye on the visible imagery, along with periodic convective bursts within the surrounding eyewall region — and cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures as cold as -84ºC were associated with these convective bursts.

Prior to sunrise Erick experienced a period of rapid intensification, as seen in a Advanced Dvorak Technique plot from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below). Erick was classified as a Category 4 hurricane as of the 18 UTC advisory.

Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT) plot for Hurricane Erick [click to enlarge]

Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT) plot for Hurricane Erick [click to enlarge]

Around the time that the period of rapid intensification was beginning, a NOAA-20 VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) image viewed using RealEarth (below) revealed a distinct eye around 11 UTC.

NOAA-20 VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) image [click to enlarge]

NOAA-20 VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) image [click to enlarge]

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Milepost 97 Fire in southwestern Oregon

By Scott Bachmeier •

An animation that cycles through GOES-17 (GOES-West) Fire Temperature Red-Green-Blue (RGB), “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), CIMSS Natural Color RGB and Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images (above) showed the thermal anomaly (darker red pixels) and smoke associated with the Milepost 97 Fire in southwestern Oregon on 26 July 2019. In this particular case, dense smoke appeared as darker shades of green... Read More

GOES-17 Fire Temperature RGB,

GOES-17 Fire Temperature RGB, “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), CIMSS Natural Color RGB and Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]

An animation that cycles through GOES-17 (GOES-West) Fire Temperature Red-Green-Blue (RGB), “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), CIMSS Natural Color RGB and Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images (above) showed the thermal anomaly (darker red pixels) and smoke associated with the Milepost 97 Fire in southwestern Oregon on 26 July 2019. In this particular case, dense smoke appeared as darker shades of green in the Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images.

A time series of surface data from Sexton Summit (immediately downwind of the fire) indicated that smoke reduced the surface visibility at that location to 1/4 mile at times; farther from the fire, the visibility was in the 2-3 mile range at times in Medford (below).

Time series of surface data from Sexton Summit [click to enlarge]

Time series of surface data from Sexton Summit [click to enlarge]

Time series of surface data from Rogue Valley International Airport in Medford [click to enlarge]

Time series of surface data from Rogue Valley International Airport in Medford [click to enlarge]

===== 27 July Update =====

GOES-17 True Color RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-17 True Color RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-17 True Color RGB images from the AOS site (above) showed the increased coverage of smoke from the Milepost 97 Fire, spreading across southern Oregon and into Northern California on 27 July. Some of the smoke had been lofted to higher altitudes, being transported as far northeastward as Montana.

Later in the day, GOES-17 True Color RGB images showed that the smoke had moved a significant distance southward along and just off the California coast (below).

GOES-17 True Color RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-17 True Color RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]

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