![\"GOES-16](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/11\/181119_goes16_waterVapor_Fuego_anim.gif\")
<\/a>GOES-16 Upper-level (6.2 \u00b5m, top),<\/em> Mid-level (6.9 \u00b5m, center)<\/em> and Low-level (7.3 \u00b5m, bottom)<\/em> Water Vapor images [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>Following several days of unrest, there was a moderate eruption of\u00a0Volc\u00e1n de Fuego<\/strong><\/a> in Guatemala beginning around 0630 UTC<\/strong><\/a> on 19 November 2018. GOES-16 (GOES-East)<\/em> Upper-level (6.2 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), Mid-level (6.9 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) and Low-level (7.3 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) Water Vapor images (above)<\/strong><\/em> displayed a signature of the volcanic plume, which drifted slowly northward and eastward for several hours. Since the 7.3 \u00b5m spectral band is also affected by SO2 absorption, the longer-lasting signal in the Low-level Water Vapor imagery suggests the plume contained SO2 as well as ash (since the 7.3 \u00b5m band is also sensitive to SO2 absorption<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\n A GOES-16 multiispectral Ash\/Dust Cloud Height product from the NOAA\/CIMSS Volcanic Cloud Monitoring<\/strong><\/a> site (below)<\/strong><\/em> indicated that the ash reached a maximum height of 7-8 km in the general vicinity of the summit between 1100-1200 UTC. A low-altitude plume of ash was seen drifting westward at heights of 1-5 km.<\/p>\n GOES-16 Ash\/Dust Cloud Height product [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>Along the southern coast of Guatemala, a 1400 UTC METAR from San Jose (MGSJ) reported a surface visibility of 5 statute miles with Volcanic Ash in the vicinity (VCVA) as the current weather type (below)<\/strong><\/em>. At that time, the GOES-16 Split Window (10.3-12.3 \u00b5m) Brightness Temperature Difference was highlighting\u00a0 concentrations of middle-tropospheric volcanic ash (yellow enhancement)<\/em> farther inland closer to the volcano.<\/p>\n<\/a>