GOES-15 (left) and GOES-13 (right) 0.63 µm visible channel and 3.9 µm shortwave IR channel images (click image to play animation)

A cluster of 4 major fire complexes (the Elk, Pony, McCan, and Beaver complexes) began to exhibit extreme fire behavior on during the afternoon and evening hours on 10 August 2013. A comparison of GOES-15 (GOES-West) and GOES-13 (GOES-East) 1-km resolution 0.63 µm visible channel and 4-km resolution 3.9 µm shortwave IR images (above; click image to play animation) showed 2 different perspectives of the many dense smoke plumes and the eventual development of a well-defined pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud whose source appeared to be the Pony Complex. On the shortwave IR images, the hottest fire pixels are enhanced red.

The corresponding 4-km resolution GOES-15 and GOES-13 10.7 µm IR channel images (below; click image to play animation) revealed that the pyroCb cloud first began to exhibit IR brightness temperatures colder than -20 C  (cyan color enhancement) after 20:00 UTC or 1:00 PM local time, -40 C (green color enhancement) after 20:20 UTC or 1:30 PM local time, and -60 C (darker red color enhancement) after 00:30 UTC or 6:30 PM local time.

GOES-15 (left) and GOES-13 (right) 10.7 µm IR channel images (click image to play animation)

Several hours later, a comparison of 1-km resolution Suomi NPP VIIRS 3.74 µm and 4-km resolution GOES-13 3.9 µm shortwave IR images just after 4 AM local time (below) demonstrated the advantage of higher spatial resolution for detecting the true location of fire “hot spots” (black to yellow to red color enhancement). Note that there is also a significant westward displacement of the largest hot spot cluster on the GOES-13 image — there is a known navigation error with the GOES 3.9 µm channel imagery, which is in the process of being corrected.

Suomi NPP VIIRS 3.74 µm and GOES-13 3.9 µm shortwave IR images

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Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR images

A sequence of three AWIPS images of 1-km resolution Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR data (above) showed the relatively compact cloud structure associated with Hurricane Henriette over the Eastern Pacific Ocean during the 07 August – 08 August 2013 period. Cloud-top IR brightness temperatures were as cold as -83 C (violet color enhancement) on the 08 August/11:12 UTC image. Henriette also exhibited a small eye on the 11:12 UTC and 22:26 UTC images on 08 August.

On a night-time comparison of Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.7 µm Day/Night Band  and 11.45 µm IR images at 11:15 UTC (below), it is interesting to point out that the eye could still be faintly identified on the Day/Night Band image, even though there was only a minimal amount of illumination from airglow alone (the Moon was in its early Waxing Crescent phase, at only 1-3% of full, but was actually below the horizon for this particular image).

Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.7 µm Day/Night Band and 11.45 µm IR channel images

The compact eye of Henriette was well-defined on a comparison of VIIRS 0.64 µm visible channel and 11.45 µm IR channel images at 22:26 UTC (below). Henriette was near its maximum intensity of 90 knots around this time.

Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.64 µm visible channel and 11.45 µm IR channel images

A 1-km resolution GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel image with an overlay of ASCAT surface scatterometer winds from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) also showed a good presentation of the eye and the surface wind flow associated with the Henriette.

GOES-15 0.63 µm visible channel image with ASCAT surface scatterometer winds

An animation of GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images (below) revealed that the eye was becoming less obvious after about 00 UTC on 09 August.

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images

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GOES-13 0.63 µm visible channel images (click image to play animation)

McIDAS images of 1-km resolution GOES-13 0.63 µm visible channel data (above; click image to play animation) showed the well-defined signature of a Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV) moving northeastward across Missouri and Illinois during the day on 08 August 2013.

A comparison of 1-km resolution MODIS 0.65 µm visible channel data at 16:16 and 19:35 UTC (below) showed that the MCV was approaching a frontal boundary over southern Illinois.

MODIS 0.64 µm visible channel images1-km resolution Suomi NPP VIIRS

1-km resolution Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.64 µm visible channel and 11.45 µm IR channel images at 19:05 UTC (below) indicated that the clouds associated with the MCV were generally low-level clouds, exhibiting IR brightness temperatures in the +5 to +10º C range (lighter cyan color enhancement).

Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.64 µm visible channel and 11.45 µm IR channel images

A comparison of 1-km resolution POES AVHRR 0.86 µm visible channel with the corresponding CLAVR-x Cloud Top Temperature (CTT), Cloud Top Height (CTH), and Cloud Type products (below) indicated the following characteristics of the MCV cloud signature over far southwestern Illinois at 19:44 UTC: CTT values in the -5 to -8 C range (light blue enhancement), CTH values in the 5-6 km range (orange to yellow enhancement), and a Cloud Type consisting of supercooled water droplets (green enhancement).

POES AVHRR visible channel, Cloud Top Temperature, Cloud Top Height, and Cloud Type products

GOES-13 Sounder DPI estimates of Total Precipitable Water (Click for animation)

Mesoscale Convective Complexes are most likely to persist in regions of abundant moisture and low shear. GOES Sounder data can give an indication of moisture in regions where clouds do not obscure the view. Clouds were abundant as the MCV formed in this case, but the animation of Total Precipitation Water (above) shows an atmosphere rich in moisture. Sounder estimate of Lifted Index, below, indicate instability. (Both animations stop at 1400 UTC, just as the MCV was seen emerging from the convective complex over southwest Missouri). The ‘blended’ Percent of Normal Total Precipitable Water product, here, shows values exceeding 100% of normal over the mid-Mississippi River Valley.

GOES-13 Sounder DPI estimates of Lifted Index (Click for animation)

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GOES-15 6.5 µm water vapor channel images (click image to play animation)

McIDAS images of 4-km resolution GOES-15 6.5 µm water vapor channel data (above; click image to play animation) showed the complex pattern of intensification of a storm over the western Gulf of Alaska on 06 August 2013. According to the NOAA NWS Ocean Prediction Center, this was the first cyclone to produce storm-force winds (greater than 47 knots) over the North Pacific Ocean since 21 June 2013.

AWIPS images of 1-km resolution Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR channel and 0.64 µm visible channel data with an overlay of the corresponding surface analysis (below) showed the cloud features associated with the storm system at 23:14 UTC.

Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR and 0.64 µm visible images (with surface analysis)

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