2D Plume Height (MISR) on 12/16/19 for the Australian Fires

Date Captured: 12/16/19 Summary: Plume Height measured in meters by the Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on 12/16/19 for the Australian Fires. We can tell the height of a cloud or smoke plume above Earth’s surface by viewing it from space at different angles. A plume located high above the surface will appear to move considerably relative to the underlying surface when view at different angles, whereas a plume closer to the surface will appear to shift less. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument aboard the NASA Terra satellite contains nine cameras that image Earth at a wide range of angles, allowing us to observe the apparent shift (called parallax) of smoke plumes from the wildfires in Australia, and to use this to determine the height. Plume height gives an indication of fire intensity, and is also important as an input to air quality models that predict where the smoke will go, and who it might affect downwind. In this visualization, MISR-retrieved plume heights are represented purple to blue, green, yellow, and red colors for higher elevations. Satellite/Sensor: MISR/Terra Resolution: ~1km Credits: Active Aerosol Plume (AAP) Project, V. Flower, R. Kahn, K. Junghenn-Noyes, NASA Disasters Program.