Monday, March 18, 2024 DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 1700Z March 18, 2024 SMOKE: Central United States… Scattered agricultural burning this morning was observed producing a handful of light smoke plumes that were seen moving southward. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Florida/Cuba/Gulf of Mexico/Yucatan Peninsula/Western Caribbean Sea/Pacific Ocean south of Mexico/Central America... An expansive area of light to moderate smoke/aerosol mix was seen blanketing an area from the Gulf of Mexico to the Tropical Eastern Pacific and western Caribbean. The smoke is the result of days of agricultural burning across northern South America, Central America, and southern and eastern Mexico. Some aerosol sources include gas flaring, industrial sources, and perhaps Saharan Dust. The thickest smoke/aerosol was observed over the western Gulf of Mexico and in the southern Caribbean just offshore of northern South America. The smoke was being shunted southward and eastward from the northern Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern CONUS thanks to a cold frontal passage. Across the western Caribbean, the smoke/aerosol is moving northwestward then northward, merging with the smoke drawn east-northeastward from the Gulf of Mexico. Some is also moving south through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec out into the Pacific. Hosley THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME DETACHED FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THESE AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO THE SOURCE FIRE IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE: JPEG map: https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg Smoke data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Smoke_Polygons Fire data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Fire_Points ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO: SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov