South Korea's Sea Surface Temperatures Hit All-Time High in 2024, Surpassing Previous Record | Be Korea-savvy

South Korea’s Sea Surface Temperatures Hit All-Time High in 2024, Surpassing Previous Record


South Korea's average sea surface temperature reached an unprecedented high in 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)

South Korea’s average sea surface temperature reached an unprecedented high in 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)

SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s average sea surface temperature reached an unprecedented high in 2024, surpassing the previous record set just a year earlier, according to data released by the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) on January 22.

Research vessels recorded an annual average sea surface temperature of 18.74°C in South Korean waters last year, the highest reading in 57 years of observations. This marks a 0.65°C increase from the previous record of 18.09°C set in 2023.

Record-breaking temperatures were observed across all maritime regions, with the East Sea reaching 18.84°C, the West Sea 17.12°C, and the South Sea 20.26°C. Satellite observations of the broader northwestern Pacific region around Korea also showed unprecedented warmth, with an average temperature of 21.11°C—the highest in 25 years of monitoring. 

Satellite data for surface water temperatures also revealed record highs across all regions, with the East Sea at 16.31°C, the West Sea at 16.80°C, and the South Sea at 21.72°C.

Scientists attribute these exceptional temperatures to several factors, including accelerating global warming. The prolonged intense heat waves that affected the Korean Peninsula between summer and autumn, coupled with increased heat transport from equatorial currents, also contributed to the warming.

The findings align with a recent World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report from January 10, which confirmed 2024 as the warmest year in modern meteorological history, with record-breaking ocean surface temperatures and heat content globally.

“We are committed to developing comprehensive climate adaptation technologies, including climate change predictions for the fisheries sector and the development of heat-resistant aquaculture species, to address this climate crisis,” said Choi Yong-seok, head of the NIFS.

M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com) 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>