The Arctic oscillation (AO) is the dominant pattern of non-seasonal sea-level pressure (SLP) variations north of 20N, and it is characterized by SLP anomalies of one sign in the Arctic and anomalies of opposite sign centered about 37-45N. The North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) is a close relative of the AO and there exist arguments about whether one or the other is more fundamentally representative of the atmosphere's dynamics.
The Arctic Oscillation affects climate change through the mechanism of Arctic shrinkage, and is itself affected by current global warming.1
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