Australian Smoke Plumes, September, 2000
SeaWiFS September 11, 2000
SeaWiFS imagery for September 11, 2000 showing smoke plumes in northern Australia
DOLA/SRSS, September 11, 2000
Department of Land Administrations (DOLA) Satellite Remote Sensing Services (SRSS) fire detection from AVHRR data for September 11, 2000 showing location of fires
 

Last updated September 27, 2000

Summary:

Animation of the TOMS Absorbing Aerosol Index (AI) for Australia for September 1-26 shows extensive areas of absorbing aerosol over much of Western Australia. (Note: Julian day 245 is September 1; Julian day 270 is September 26.) One possible source is dust from Lake Eyre followed by advection to NW Australia. A persistent hot spot does exist at Lake Eyre (27S, 137E), but there is no plume emanating from it towards the NW.

Note that at times the high AI values over NW and W Australia appear to be being transported CCW towards Lake Eyre. It is well known that a large number of fires occur in this area each year at this time. For example, see the DOLA/SRSS image above and the ESA ESRIN IONIA AVHRR monthly analysis for September 1993. The 06Z surface observations for each day of September show dust observations (cyan-colored S-symbols) in the Lake Eyre region on the 1st and 7th, but none at other times. There are many smoke observations (cyan-colored smokestack symbol) for most days during the month along NE, NW, and W Australia.

Summarizing the Australia surface observations:
     for all of September
         smoke observations - 3194
         dust observations - 146
     for September 20-25
         smoke observations - 728
         dust observations - 25
so smoke is definitely dominating.

The dynamics during the month are shown in the loop of 06Z NOGAPS analyses. The dust lifting on the 1st and 7th is apparently due to high friction velocities (magenta colors in lower-right panel) over Lake Eyre associated with passing mid-latitude waves and strong westerly winds. On other days, the highest friction velocities are north of Lake Eyre and are weaker.

Finally, the NAAPS 06Z simulations for the month shows the two dust events, with rapid westward advection, plus some intermittent dust emission from Lake Eyre. The large amounts of smoke are from the Australian fires (1993 IONIA database), and from Africa (same database), and therefore are not specific to this year, but these do give an indication of the transport patterns, including the the CCW advection of smoke, which seem to match the pattern in the TOMS AI values. There probably is some dust around, but it probably isn't responsible for the large AI values over Western Australia and off the western coast.



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