{"id":29118,"date":"2018-07-25T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T23:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/?p=29118"},"modified":"2018-07-27T19:58:10","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T19:58:10","slug":"cranston-fire-pyrocumulonimbus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/archives\/29118","title":{"rendered":"Cranston Fire pyrocumulonimbus"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GOES-16<\/a>

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m, left)<\/em> and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m, right)<\/em> images, with hourly plots of surface reports [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>GOES-16 (GOES-East)<\/em> “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images (above)<\/strong><\/em> showed the smoke and pyrocumulus clouds as well as the thermal anomaly or “hot spot” (red pixels)<\/em> associated with the Cranston Fire<\/strong><\/a> — located in the center of the images — which started southwest of Palm Springs, California (KPSP) around 1852 UTC or 11:52 am PDT on 25 July 2018<\/strong><\/a>. The large areas of red seen on the Shortwave Infrared images early in the animation were signatures of very hot sandy soil surfaces of the southern California deserts. Note the very warm air temperatures seen across the region; Palm Springs had an afternoon high of 116\u00baF, and Thermal KTRM had a high of 119\u00baF (farther inland, Death Valley had a high of 127\u00baF).<\/p>\n

A slightly different view — with the fire located in the lower left corner, southwest of KPSP — using GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images (below)<\/strong><\/em> revealed that the fire actually produced 3 distinct pulses of pyroCumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud, where the 10.3 \u00b5m cloud-top infrared brightness temperature reached or exceeded the -40\u00baC threshold (lime green enhancement)<\/em>. Three specific times that these separate pyroCb clouds were evident were 2102 UTC<\/strong><\/a>, 2147 UTC<\/strong><\/a> and 2312 UTC<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"GOES-16<\/a>

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m, left),<\/em> Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m, center)<\/em> and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m, right)<\/em> images, with 4-letter airport identifiers plotted in yellow [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>Another view of the pyroCb pulses was provided by a 4-panel view of GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m) and Cloud Top Phase (below)<\/strong><\/em>. The coldest 10.3 \u00b5m cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures were -55\u00baC as the primary pyroCb anvil drifted northeastward toward the California\/Nevada border.<\/p>\n

\"GOES-16<\/a>

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m, top left), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m, top right), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m, bottom left) and Cloud Top Phase (bottom right) images [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>There was also substantial lightning observed with these pyroCb clouds:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

Loop of fire temperature RGB showing #CranstonFire<\/a> in Southern California yesterday. Total lightning also overlaid showing pyrocumulus generated dry lightning. Areas of glint also seen towards end of the loop from solar farms reflecting light directly into the #GOESEast<\/a> ABI pic.twitter.com\/9wsBBeJsAu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 William Churchill (@kudrios) July 26, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n