![\"GOES-15](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2014\/09\/140929_goes15_visible_Novarupta_AK_ash_anim.gif\")
<\/a>GOES-15 Visible (0.63 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to play animation]<\/p><\/div>McIDAS images of GOES-15 Visible (0.63 \u00b5m) data (above)<\/strong><\/em> showed the hazy signature of a plume of re-suspended volcanic ash originating from the region of the Novarupta volcano in Alaska, moving southeastward over the Shelikof Strait toward Kodiak Island on 29 September 2014. The 1912 eruption<\/strong><\/a> of Novarupta left a very deep deposit of volcanic ash, which often gets lofted by strong winds in the early Autumn months before snowfall covers the ash (another example occurred on 22 September 2013<\/strong><\/a>). Surface winds gusted as high as 30 knots at regional reporting stations, with numerical models estimating terrain-enhanced winds as high as 40-50 knots over the Novarupta ash field.<\/p>\n An AWIPS II image of POES AVHRR Visible (0.86 \u00b5m) data (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed the ash plume at 22:46 UTC; a pilot report at 22:45 UTC indicated that the top of the ash plume was between 4000 and 6000 feet above ground level.<\/p>\n POES AVHRR Visible (0.86 \u00b5m)<\/em> image, with METAR surface reports and Pilot Reports (PIREPs) [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>A sequence of 3 Suomi NPP VIIRS True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images from SSEC RealEarth<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(below)<\/strong><\/em> indicated that the re-suspended ash plume had been increasing in areal extent during that period.<\/p>\n Suomi NPP VIIRS true-color images from 27, 28, and 29 September [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>A sequence of 4-panel products from the NOAA\/CIMSS Volcanic Cloud Monitoring<\/strong><\/a> site (below)<\/strong><\/em> shows False-color images, Ash\/dust cloud height, Ash\/dust particle effective radius, and Ash\/dust loading (derived from either Terra\/Aqua MODIS or Suomi NPP VIIRS data).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>