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

On 30 May 2012, the Whitewater-Baldy Fire complex was declared to be the largest fire on record for the state of New Mexico, having burned over 170,000 acres. On the previous day (29 May), GOES-13 0.63 µm visible channel images (above; click image to play animation) showed a vary large column of smoke that was drifting eastward across New Mexico into Texas.

A sequence of daily (early afternoon) 250-meter resolution MODIS true color Red/Green/Blue (RGB) images from the SSEC MODIS Today site (below; click image to play animation) displayed the variability in smoke plume size and direction as the fire continued to grow after 15 May. Much of the thicker smoke was confined to higher altitudes, but some smoke did settle into the boundary layer and create air quality problems downwind of the fire complex.

Daily MODIS true color Red/Green/Blue (RGB) images (click image to play animation)

A night-time AWIPS comparison of Suomi NPP VIIRS 3.74 µm shortwave IR and 0.7 µm Day/Night Band (DNB) images (below) revealed the ring of “hot spots” (red to yellow to black pixels on the shortwave IR image) and the glow of the active fires (bright white on the DNB image) around the periphery of the large fire complex. The lights of the surrounding cities and towns could also be seen on the DNB image.

Suomi NPP VIIRS 3.74 µm shortwave IR and 0.7 µm Day/Night Band images

===== 01 June Update =====

A relatively thin veil of smoke on 01 June 2012 (as seen on the 250-meter resolution MODIS true-color image) allowed the size of the Whitewater-Baldy fire burn scar to be revealed on the corresponding MODIS false-color Red/Green/Blue (RGB) image (below).

MODIS true-color and false-color Red/Green/Blue (RGB) images

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Daily MODIS 0.65 µm visible channel images (25, 26, 27, and 28 May)

A sequence of four AWIPS images of 1-km resolution MODIS 0.65 µm visible channel data during the 25 May – 28 May 2012 period (above) showed the various stages of development of Subtropical/Tropical Storm Beryl as it slowly intensified over the far western Atlantic Ocean and eventually made landfall across northeastern Florida. Beryl was the first Tropical Storm to make landfall in the US during the month of May since Tropical Storm Arlene back in 1959.

As Beryl made the transition from Subtropical Storm to Tropical Storm on 27 May, McIDAS images of 1-km resolution GOES-13 0.63 µm visible channel data (below; click image to play animation) showed convective bands becoming more organized and wrapping around the center of the system.

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

A comparison of AWIPS images of 1-km resolution Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.64 µm visible channel and 11.45 µm IR channel data (below) showed Beryl a few hours before it was classified a Tropical Storm on 27 May.

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

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Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR and 3.74 µm shortwave IR images

The Whitewater-Baldy Fire Complex continued to burn in far western New Mexico on 26 May 2012. A night-time AWIPS image comparison of Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR and 3.74 µm shortwave IR data (above) demonstrated how the shortwave IR channel is much more sensitive to the presence of hot fire pixels (red to yellow to black color enhancement). The active fires were located along the perimeter of the large fire complex.

The corresponding Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.7 µm “Day/Night Band” image (below) revealed a very distinct bright “ring of fire” signature from these actively burning perimeter fires. Both the Day/Night Band and the shortwave IR signatures looked notably larger on this day than they did on 23 May.

Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.7 µm "Day/Night Band" image

During the following afternoon hours, a Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.64 µm visible channel image (below) showed that a long smoke plume continued to be blown toward the northeast, as was seen on a number of previous days.

Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.64 µm visible channel image

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GOES-13 0.63 µm Visible imagery

GOES-East imagery of a fire that has been burning over western New Mexico for the past week shows a plume of smoke extending eastward from the fire, and spreading out over southeast New Mexico and parts of Texas and Mexico. It is difficult indeed to find the edges of the plume with the image.

GOES-15 0.62 µm Visible imagery

Contrast that to the GOES-West image above, from the same time. The two images underscore the difference that view angle makes in viewing smoke from a fire: smoke is far more visible with a low sun angle.

View-angle differences for fire detection are less important. In this case, both the GOES-East and GOES-West similarly charaterize the fire temperature.

Suomi NPP 3.74 µm shortwave IR image + 0.7 µm Day/Night Band image

During the previous night-time hours before sunrise (at 09:09 UTC, or 3:09 am local time), an overpass of the Suomi NPP satellite offered a nice comparison between  a 1-km resolution VIIRS 3.74 µm shortwave IR image and the corresponding 1-km resolution VIIRS 0.7 µm “Day/Night Band” image of the Baldy Fire in far western New Mexico (above). On the shortwave IR image, a large cluster of hot pixels (red to yellow to black colors) indicated where the most active fires were burning; on the Day/Night Band image,  the widespread flames of the fire complex showed up as a large and very bright feature. As an aside, it is interesting to note that the dimly-illuminated path of Interstate 10 (I-10) also shows up on the Day/Night Band image.

Animations of GOES-West visible imagery from May 22nd and from May 23rd illustrate the pulsing nature of the fire. Distinct intensification as measured by the amount of emitted smoke is obvious after 2200 UTC on 22 May, and also after 1800 UTC on 23 May. Late afternoon dewpoint depressions at or above 70 degrees Fahrenheit are testament to the extreme fire danger in western New Mexico.

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