Layers of nocturnal insect migrants at high-altitude: the influence of atmospheric conditions on their formation

Wood, C. R., Clark, S. J., Barlow, J. F. and Chapman, J. W. (2010) Layers of nocturnal insect migrants at high-altitude: the influence of atmospheric conditions on their formation. Agricultural and Forest Entomology, 12 (1). pp. 113-121. ISSN 1461-9555 doi: 10.1111/j.1461-9563.2009.00459.x

Abstract/Summary

1 Radar studies of nocturnal insect migration have often found that the migrants tend to form well-defined horizontal layers at a particular altitude. 2 In previous short-term studies, nocturnal layers were usually observed to occur at the same altitude as certain meteorological features, most notably at the altitudes of temperature inversions or nocturnal wind jets. 3 Statistical analyses are presented of four years’ data that compared the presence, sharpness and duration of nocturnal layer profiles (observed using continuously-operating entomological radar) with meteorological variables at typical layer altitudes over the UK. 4 Analysis of these large datasets demonstrated that temperature was the foremost meteorological factor persistently associated with the presence and formation of longer-lasting and sharper layers of migrating insects over southern UK.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/1588
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Uncontrolled Keywords	Differential advection • entomological radar • insect layering • nocturnal boundary layer • temperature inversion
Publisher	John Wiley & Sons
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