The four‐dimensional structures and possible physical process of the decadal abrupt changes (DACs) of the northern extratropical ocean–atmosphere system in 1983–1988 are investigated by using ERSST.v2 and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The DACs of sea surface temperature (SST) appeared over the southern tropical Atlantic, middle Pacific, and northern midlatitude oceans in 1983–1988. The atmospheric DACs in 1983–1988 were character...