GOES-16 (GOES-East) Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) and Fire Power derived product images during the 5-day period from 27 May – 31 May 2023 (above) showed the thermal signature of wildfires burning in far southern Nova Scotia — which forced the evacuation of 40% of the residents in the area southwest of Shelburne (near airport identifier CWOS). 3.9 µm infrared brightness temperatures occasionally reached 135ºC (not far below the 137.71ºC saturation temperature of the GOES-16 ABI Band 7 detectors), with Fire Power values exceeding 2700 MW at times (the Fire Power derived product is a component of the Fire Detection and Characterization Algorithm). On 28 May, strong westerly winds within the warm sector of a midlatitude cyclone caused a rapid eastward expansion of the fire’s thermal signature.

A sequence of GOES-16 True Color RGB and Nighttime Microphysics RGB images during 27-31 May from the CSPP GeoSphere site (below) showed the varying daytime smoke transport along with the fire’s nocturnal thermal anomaly (darker shades of purple) during that same 5-day period.

In a toggle between NOAA-20 VIIRS True Color RGB and False Color RGB images valid at 1700 UTC on 31 May (below), individual smoke plume point sources could be seen in the True Color RGB image, while the fire burn scar (darker shades of brown) and active fires (brighter shades of pink) were evident in the False Color RGB image. VIIRS data used to create these images were downloaded and processed via the CIMSS/SSEC Direct Broadcast ground station.

During the preceding nighttime hours, a toggle between Suomi-NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.74 µm) images (below) showed the nocturnal glow and thermal signature of the fires at 0626 UTC on 31 May.

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The 2023 NOAA Satellites Virtual Science Fair (VSF) concluded this month with top projects identified. The VSF involves middle and high school students (G6-12) working with GOES (geostationary) or JPSS (polar-orbiting) satellite data in projects of their own design conveyed via a scientific poster. High school submissions also require a short video where students explain their project, similar to a poster session at a professional conference. By offering authentic STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) engagement to a pre-college audience, this activity serves as a pipeline to society’s scientist of tomorrow and NOAA’s future workforce. Peruse the top projects for a refreshing perspective on student creativity and capabilities:  

Looking back at four projects with perfect scores from 2022

Last year for the first (and only) time, four high school projects earned perfect scores in the GOES Virtual Science Fair. To break the tie, several CIMSS and NOAA researchers ranked the posters and poster presentations. Check out the excellent projects and see how you might rank them, then find out who won via http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/education/goesr/1stPlace2022.html.

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The Himawari-9 Target sector monitored the evolution of Typhoon Mawar from its inception. The animation above (it re-centers occasionally) shows the initial intensification of the system, a brief but notable weakening just prior to moving close to Guam, and then reintensification to the west-northwest of the Marianas. The animation below tracks the storm from near peak intensity to weakening to the northeast of the Philippines.

Total Precipitable Water fields from MIMIC, below, suggest the weakening near Guam may have been influenced by dry air that wrapped into the system from the west and south.

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Suomi-NPP VIIRS Visible (0.64 µm) images over the 4-day period from 26-29 May 2023 (above) displayed the anomalously low ice concentration (source) within a portion of Canada’s Amundsen Gulf — along with the formation of multiple ice leads, followed by the separation of large areas of fast ice within the eastern third of the satellite scene.

Much of this fast ice separation was the result of wind stress, shown by the easterly/northeasterly winds that prevailed during the period at Cape Perry CZCP — which included gusts in excess of 30 knots on 27 May as an anomalously deep low pressure moved eastward across the Northwest Territories into Nunavut (not surprisingly, the most significant areal extent of fast ice separation also occurred on 27 May).

A comparison of Suomi-NPP VIIRS Sea Ice Concentration, Sea Ice Thickness and Sea Ice Temperature derived products viewed using RealEarth (below) showed ice conditions on Day 1 of this 4-day period, before the stronger easterly winds on Day 2 led to more widespread development of ice leads and a separation of fast ice.

Probed values of those parameters over an area of fast ice that had not yet been fractured and separated (below) indicated a Sea Ice Thickness of 1.57 m, a Sea Ice Temperature of 269.14 K and a Sea Ice Concentration of 99% at that particular location.

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