![](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/images\/2024\/03\/240316_himawari9_visible_shortwaveInfrared_infraredWindow_China_pyroCb_anim.gif\")
<\/a>Himawari-9 \u201cRed\u201d Visible (0.64 \u00b5m, top), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m, middle) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 \u00b5m, bottom) images, from 0600-1100 UTC on 16 March [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>10-minute JMA<\/strong><\/a> Himawari-9 AHI<\/strong><\/a> \u201cRed\u201d Visible (0.64 \u00b5m), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 \u00b5m) images (above)<\/strong><\/em> showed the formation of 2 pyrocumulonimbus<\/strong><\/a> (pyroCb) clouds spawned by a wildfire in Sichuan Province, China on 16 March 2024. The initial (smaller, shorter-lived) pyroCb developed at 0820 UTC — exhibiting cloud-top 10.4 \u00b5m infrared brightness temperatures of -40\u00baC and colder, denoted by the shades of blue — with the second (larger, somewhat longer-lived) pyroCb developing at 0910 UTC. The wildfire began to make a rapid northeastward run during the ~5 hour period shown in the animation. The fire environment across that region became more favorable as wind speeds increased with the approach of a deepening surface cyclone, as shown in surface analyses<\/strong><\/a> (the pyroCb-producing wildfire was located near 30\u00ba N latitude, 131\u00ba E longitude).<\/p>\n Himawari-9 True Color RGB images created using Geo2Grid<\/strong><\/a> (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed the east-northeast transport of the wildfire smoke plume, with its embedded pyroCb cloud.<\/p>\n