Dust, Ash, & Fire | NESDIS | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Official websites use .gov .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS lock ) or means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Dust, Ash, & Fire Dust in the Wind Satellites are important tools for tracking and studying aerosol particles in the atmosphere made of dust, smoke from wildfires, and volcanic ash. These types of particles can not only affect human health and safety but can also affect the weather and climate by cooling or warming the Earth as well as enhancing or preventing cloud formation. Collectively, these phenomena are monitored by special sensors onboard our geostationary satellites. A smoke plume rises from 2019's Kincade Fire in California. How we track each one Dust Satellites help scientists track and study dust aerosol particles in the atmosphere. They can affect health, safety, weather, and climate as well as enhance or prevent cloud formation. How satellites track dust Dust Ash Volcanic ash is hazardous to health, aviation, infrastructure, and the economy. Satellites monitor volcanoes the most isolated areas of the planet and observe changes that may signal an impending eruption as well the location of debris that may result. How satellites track ash Ash Fire Satellite imagery allow us to see where fire smoke plumes are, how a fire is growing and moving, and its temperature. It also shows burn scars, or areas burned by fire. How satellites monitor fires Fire More Articles on Fire, Dust, and Ash image Feature Story 5 Ways NOAA’s Satellites Support Emergency Managers and First Responders NOAA satellites help predict and detect early threats, track weather events as they happen, and map… April 20, 2026 image Announcement NOAA Seeks Commercial Wildfire Imagery On April 7, 2026, NOAA released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Wildfire Imagery Pilot to be… April 9, 2026 image Feature Story NOAA’s Wildfire Detection System a “Game Changer” for Nebraska’s Record-Breaking Morrill Fire When the Morrill Fire ignited in Nebraska on March 12, 2026, NOAA’s Next Generation Fire System (… April 9, 2026 View More Ash