SUMMARYWe present a statistical method, the extended canonical correlation analysis, to extract intermittent propagative coupled oscillations. We have applied this technique to a 136-year-long North Atlantic sea-level-pressure and sea-surface-temperature dataset. Nine ocean-atmosphere coupled oscillations with periods between 2.3 and 18 years were found. The 7.7 y period oscillation is presented in some detail and its links with the North Atlantic Oscillation are discussed.