Three atmospheric patterns dominate decadal North Atlantic overturning variability

Here, we isolate the optimal atmospheric modes driving climate‐relevant decadal AMOC variability using a novel approach combining dynamical and statistical attribution (dynamics‐weighted principal component, or DPC analysis).

We find that for both the subpolar (55°N) and subtropical (25°N) AMOC, the most effective independent mode of heat flux forcing closely resembles the North Atlantic Oscillation, and drives meridionally coherent AMOC anomalies through western boundary density anomalies. Conversely, established modes of wind stress variability possess limited quantitative similarity to the optimal wind stress patterns, which generate low‐frequency AMOC fluctuations by rearranging the ocean buoyancy field.