The North Atlantic Oscillation: A dominant factor in variations of oceanic circulation systems of the Atlantic Ocean

On the basis of altimetry data, the dynamics of the interaction between the subtropical anticyclonic (SA) and subpolar cyclonic (SC) gyres of the North Atlantic is considered. It is shown that the westerlies in the lower troposphere represented by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index are the main factor responsible for the dynamics of the gyres, which controls the inflow of warm Atlantic water into the Polar basin.