Evolution of the 2014–2015 sea surface temperature warming in the central west coast of Baja California, Mexico, recorded by remote sensing

Abstract

Extraordinarily warm sea surface temperatures were present in the California Current System during 2014–2015. In several locations surface waters temperature registered new record high in the recent time series. This study focuses in the evolution of the warming in the southern part of the California Current System (CCS), off the west coast of Baja California, Mexico. Analysis of monthly sea surface temperature (SST), sea level pressure, and wind speed as measured by satellite from January 1988 to December 2015 show that recent warming occurred during two distinct periods. From May 2014 to April 2015, SST warming was related to weak coastal winds not associated to El Niño. During this period occurred the longest sustained record of 15 months of negative wind anomalies in the series. A reduction of wind stress suggests a weakened coastal upwelling, and consequently, cold water not transported into the surface. The second process of warming occurred from September to December 2015, during a strong El Niño condition.

Effects of seasonal and interannual events on satellite-derived phytoplankton biomass and production in the southernmost part of the California Current System during 2003–2016

“…After September 2015 El Niño was the main cause for the low phytoplankton biomass observed in our study area. According to Robinson (2016) the recent warming off Baja California occurred in 2 distinct periods. In the first warming period, from May 2014 to April 2015, the SST increase was 2 tipos de eventos El Niño: el tipo Pacífico oriental (PO) que tiene un máximo de anomalías de TSM centrado en la región de la lengüeta fría del Pacífico ecuatorial oriental; y el tipo Pacífico central (PC) que tiene anomalías cerca de la línea del tiempo (Kao y Yu 2009).…”

“…Después de septiembre de 2015, el efecto de El Niño fue la causa principal de los bajos valores de biomasa fitoplanctónica de nuestra área de estudio. De acuerdo con Robinson (2016), el calentamiento reciente frente a Baja California ocurrió durante 2 periodos distintos. En el primer periodo, de mayo de 2014 a abril de 2015, el aumento de TSM se relacionó con vientos costeros débiles no relacionados con El Niño (Robinson 2016).…”

“…De acuerdo con Robinson (2016), el calentamiento reciente frente a Baja California ocurrió durante 2 periodos distintos. En el primer periodo, de mayo de 2014 a abril de 2015, el aumento de TSM se relacionó con vientos costeros débiles no relacionados con El Niño (Robinson 2016). En este periodo se presentó el record más largo de anomalías negativas de viento.…”

“…La reducción del estrés del viento sugiere un debilitamiento de las surgencias costeras. El segundo periodo de calentamiento ocurrió de septiembre a diciembre de 2015, related to weak coastal winds not associated with El Niño (Robinson 2016). The longest sustained record of negative wind anomalies occurred during this period.…”

“…Reduced wind stress suggests weakened coastal upwelling. The second warming period occurred from September to December 2015, during strong El Niño conditions (Robinson 2016) (also during 2016 on TCSLu).…”