I have posted frequently on the dominate role of regional atmospheric and ocean circulations in determing the weather features that are experienced (e. g see). There is a new excellent paper which provides yet more evidence of this major climate perspective [thanks to Dallas Staley for alerting us to it!].
It is
Grossmann, I., and P. J. Klotzbach (2009), A review of North Atlantic modes of natural variability and their driving
mechanisms, J. Geophys. Res., 114, D24107, doi:10.1029/2009JD012728
and the abstract reads
“This paper reviews three modes of natural variability that have been identified in the North Atlantic Ocean, namely, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM). This
manuscript focuses on the multidecadal fluctuations of these three modes. A range of different mechanisms to initiate phase reversals in these modes on multidecadal timescales has been suggested previously. We propose a systematic grouping of these mechanisms into three types that involve, respectively, (1) the dependency of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC) on salinity, (2) the sensitivity of the THC to changes in ocean heat transport and (3) the dependency of the NAO to changes in the Atlantic meridional temperature gradient. Some new density data is also provided, demonstrating physical
links between the THC and the AMO.”
Climate Science: Roger Pielke Sr. 