![\"GOES-17](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/images\/2020\/09\/200909_goes17_visible_shortwaveInfrared_fireTemperatureRGB_glmFlashExtentDensity_infraredWindow_CA_pyroCb_anim.gif\")
<\/a>GOES-17 \u201cRed\u201d Visible (0.64 \u00b5m, top left),<\/em> Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m, top right),<\/em> Fire Temperature RGB + GLM Flash Extent Density (bottom left)<\/em> and \u201cClean\u201d Infrared Window (10.35 \u00b5m, bottom right)<\/em> [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>1-minute\u00a0Mesoscale Domain Sector<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0GOES-17\u00a0(GOES-West)\u00a0<\/em>\u201cRed\u201d Visible (0.64 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>),\u00a0Fire Temperature<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Red-Green-Blue (RGB) +\u00a0GLM<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Flash Extent Density<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(FED) and \u201cClean\u201d Infrared Window (10.35 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images\u00a0(above)\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>showed the formation of a pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud over the Bear Fire (part of the North Complex<\/strong><\/a>) in Northern California on 09 September 2020<\/strong><\/a>. The coldest cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures were -61.4\u00baC; no GLM-detected lightning activity was seen with this pyroCb.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A comparison of Suomi NPP VIIRS Day\/Night Band (0.7 \u00b5m), Shortwave Infrared (3.74 \u00b5m) and Infrared Window (11.45 \u00b5m) images (below)<\/strong> <\/em>displayed the initial 2 pyroCb cloud pulses shortly after their formation. Side-illumination from the Moon (which was in the Waning Gibbous phase, at 59% of Full) allowed for a distinct shadow to be cast northwest of the colder\/taller pyroCb pulse — and the pyroCb clouds exhibited a darker appearance than the layer of low-altitude smoke to the west, likely due to very high amounts of fresh smoke contained within the rapidly-rising cloud turrets.<\/p>\n Suomi NPP VIIRS Day\/Night Band (0.7 \u00b5m),<\/em> Shortwave Infrared (3.74 \u00b5m)<\/em> and Infrared Window (11.45 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>A toggle between time-matched Infrared Window images of the Bear<\/span>\u00a0Fire<\/span>\u00a0pyrocumulonimbus<\/span>\u00a0cloud from\u00a0<\/span>Suomi NPP (SNPP)<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>GOES-17<\/span>\u00a0(below)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>highlighted the differences in spatial resolution \u2014 375-m with SNPP VIIRS, vs 2-km (at satellite sub-point) with GOES-17 ABI \u2014 and the parallax displacement<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0inherent with GOES-17 imagery at that location (17 km for a 15.2-km tall cloud top<\/strong><\/a>). The c<\/span>oldest cloud-top infrared brightness temperature was -76.2\u00baC with SNPP, vs -59.9\u00baC with GOES-17 (identical color enhancements were applied to both images).<\/span><\/p>\n Infrared Window images from Suomi NPP (11.45 \u00b5m)<\/em> and GOES-17 (10.35 \u00b5m)<\/em> [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>GOES-17 True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images created using Geo2Grid<\/strong><\/a> (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed the southward drift of the high-altitude pyroCb cloud material during the day, along with widespread dense smoke that covered much of California at lower altitudes.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>