Editing Physical oceanography (section)

===Climate variability===
[[Image:El-nino.png|right|thumb|350px|December 1997 chart of ocean surface temperature anomaly [°C] during the last strong El Niño]]
The interaction of ocean circulation, which serves as a type of [[heat pump]], and biological effects such as the concentration of [[carbon dioxide]] can result in global [[Climate change (general concept)|climate change]]s on a time scale of decades. Known [[climate oscillation]]s resulting from these interactions, include the [[Pacific decadal oscillation]], [[North Atlantic oscillation]], and [[Arctic oscillation]]. The oceanic process of [[thermohaline circulation]] is a significant component of heat redistribution across the globe, and changes in this circulation can have major impacts upon the climate.

====La Niña–El Niño====
{{main|El Niño|La Niña}}

====Antarctic circumpolar wave====
{{main|Antarctic Circumpolar Wave}}
This is a coupled [[ocean]]/[[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]] [[wave]] that circles the [[Southern Ocean]] about every eight years. Since it is a wave-2 phenomenon (there are two peaks and two troughs in a [[Circle of latitude|latitude circle]]) at each fixed point in space a signal with a [[Simple harmonic motion|period]] of four years is seen. The wave moves eastward in the direction of the [[Antarctic Circumpolar Current]].