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Nova Scotia Fires

June 2nd, 2023 by Jorel Torres

So far in 2023, western Canada has been overwhelmed with wildfires and smoke, and within the last week new fires erupted in the eastern province of Nova Scotia. At the time of this blog entry, over 22,000 hectares (or 54,000+ acres) were burned in the province.

A VIIRS Day Fire RGB animation of the Nova Scotian fires, the fire extent and smoke can be observed at a high spatial resoluti0n of 375-m. Click on the video below. The animation includes VIIRS daytime overpasses from SNPP, NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 over the span of several days, 27 May through 1 June 2023. Notice how the fires rapidly move eastward over time. Corresponding smoke plumes are produced as well, where smoke advects over land and over the North Atlantic Ocean.

The VIIRS Active Fires product also observed the fire hotspots and fire intensities (i.e., Fire Radiative Power, FRP, expressed in MegaWatts, MW) on the afternoon of 1 June 2023. The quantitative product from NOAA-20 can be seen below, showing higher fire intensities (i.e., orange and dark orange colors) along the southern, eastern and northern flanks of the fires.

Note to Users: The VIIRS Day Fire RGB can be accessed online via CIRA JPSS SLIDER, while the VIIRS Active Fires product is accessible online via RealEarth.

Posted in: Data Access, Fire Weather, POES, Satellites, | Comments closed

User Access to JPSS Data and Imagery Online

May 26th, 2023 by Jorel Torres

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) constellation currently consists of three satellites that provide environmental monitoring around the globe and datasets to users. The three satellites are the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – 20 (NOAA-20) and NOAA-21 (i.e., formerly known as JPSS-2). There are two more satellites that are a part of the JPSS constellation, JPSS-3 and JPSS-4, and are planned to launch within the next decade.

With respect to S-NPP, NOAA-20 and NOAA-21, where can users access the data? Users can access the data and imagery online via a variety of online resources. Note, National Weather Service (NWS) users can also access the data in the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System – II (AWIPS-II), a forecasting and analysis software package. For simplicity, this blog entry focuses on how users can access JPSS data online.

Here at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), we developed a ‘JPSS Imagery for Users’ webpage (shown below). The webpage is a repository of near-real-time imagery and datasets and provides users information about the JPSS satellite program. It is important to note, the online data resources come from a variety of NOAA or NASA related organizations and cooperative institutes, including CIRA. The webpage is routinely updated with the latest JPSS near-real-time weblinks and information for users to access. Users can access the webpage by clicking on the image below or via this link.

The webpage is categorized in a few topic areas: Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Imagery, Satellite Derived Soundings, Fire Applications, Hydrology Applications, Direct Broadcast (DB) data, and Oceans/Lakes. Users can scroll down toward the bottom of the webpage and encounter a list of JPSS-related acronyms that help users become familiar with the satellite jargon. Additionally, users can access the satellite orbit tracks from SNPP, NOAA-20 and NOAA-21. The orbit tracks assist users in knowing when to expect the data over a specified domain.

Below is an example of JPSS imagery that is accessible online via CIRA Polar SLIDER: sea ice observations over the Chukchi Sea, northwest of Alaska. An animation of the sea ice motion can be seen here.