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El Niño Drives Record-Shattering Ocean Heat off San Francisco Coast
KQED • • nation
Key Points:
- Sea surface temperatures off the coast of San Francisco near the Farallon Islands have reached record highs for this time of year, driven by El Niño, according to climate scientist Daniel Swain.
- Water temperatures have risen rapidly since September, peaking around 65 to 66 degrees, which is about 10 degrees above the normal 56-degree average and surpassing previous records for late-year warmth.
- This warming is linked to El Niño's influence, where warm equatorial Pacific waters move northward along the California coast, disrupting the usual cold upwelling that supports nutrient-rich marine ecosystems.
- The reduction in cold upwelling during El Niño events threatens marine life, causing fish to migrate or die, which in turn affects seabirds and kelp forests dependent on these ecosystems.
- Record ocean temperatures have been observed along a broad stretch of the California coast from Newport Beach to Eureka, marking unprecedented warmth during the typically cooler months between November and May.
