In this study we investigate a relationship between the long-period variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) with the variability of the intensity of deep convection in the Greenland, Labrador, and Irminger seas, as well as with the intensity of the wind induced upwelling in the Southern Ocean.
This goal is achieved extending AMOC time series back to the 1950s using the ensemble proxy index. The
temporal variability of the intensity of deep convection over the 60-year study period was estimated using indices of deep convection, and of the upwelling in the Southern Ocean is estimated via the mean intensity of
the Ekman transport divergence. The contribution of each of these processes was assessed using cross-correlation and multiple regression analyses. The results suggest that, during the recent decades, only two of the
proposed control mechanisms contribute significantly to the AMOC variability in the North Atlantic – deep
convection in the Irminger Sea and wind upwelling in the Southern Ocean. Furthermore, the intensity of
convection in the Irminger Sea shows the largest impact.