102-Year Sea-Surface Temperature Record Broken

Crowds have been flocking to Southern California beaches this summer, and for good reason. The water temperatures are anomalously warm (see Fig. 1). Ocean temperatures have been well above-average along the Southern California coastline for much of the summer. 80°F+ water temperatures have been reported (San Diego Bay).

Fig. 1: Current SST Anomalies (TropicalTidbits.com)

Earlier this week, the sea-surface temperature (SST) at the Scripps Pier in San Diego, California hit its highest reading in the pier’s 102-year history. According to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, the SST at the pier was measured was 78.6°F, which broke the previous record of 78.4°F (1931). Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, has measured the SSTs at the pier since 1916 as a part of its scientific research.