Climate Dynamics of the North Atlantic and NW-Europe: An Observation-Based Overview

Abstract

The North Atlantic is the site for major ocean-atmosphere interaction because its wide meridional connection with the Arctic allows for extreme poleward propagation of warm subtropical waters and hence for extreme heat release to the high-latitude atmosphere. The cooled surface waters sink and lead to the formation of North Atlantic Deep Water, which is spreading southward in the lower limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and the global thermohaline conveyor. The ocean/atmosphere system experiences considerable variability on interannual to multi-decadal timescales. On five examples of observed North Atlantic ocean variability and possible links with low-frequency atmospheric driving related to the North Atlantic Oscillation the range of climate-variability in the past decades is described.