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Insects in Clear Air mode, part 2
Insects also appear on radar at night. In the following images GSP Greer SC radar detects targets, in some areas with reflectance as high as 28 dBZ, shortly after sunset. Notice that the reflectivity image shows a pattern very similar to bird exodus during nocturnal migration. However, the velocity image shows that most of these targets have very low velocities. The targets detected by the radar, in this case, are not birds but mostly insects and bats. Note that a few faster velocities are present, and these likely do represent very early migrants - remember that the images are from the night of 14 July, a time when little migration occurs in South Carolina. Notice another feature of this image: some patches of very high reflectance are associated with patches of low velocities. These patches represent isolated showers even though the radar is operating in Clear Air mode.
| Insects detected by NEXRAD | Insects carried on NE Winds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| GSP: Greer SC (34.88N 82.22W): Base Ref 124nm / Elev=0.5 deg / 1 km²/pixel Clear Mode / VCP 32 07/15/99 02:55 UTC - Max: 62 dBZ | GSP: Greer SC (34.88N 82.22W): Radial Vel 124nm / Elev=0.5 deg / 1 km²/pixel Clear Mode / VCP 32 07/15/99 03:05 UTC - Max: -58 kts +60 kts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||