The concept of the global conveyor suggested in the 1980s evolved in the generally accepted theory of the global thermohaline circulation (THC). One of the major mechanisms driving the THC is the deep convection in the Subpolar North Atlantic due to the high density of the surface waters. However, significant amount of deep, bottom, and intermediate waters are formed in several other areas of the ocean, notably in the Antarctic, providing the large-scale overturning. The large oceanic heat transport, ocean–atmosphere interaction, heat and moisture release and uptake in particular energy-active areas exert a strong control on the global climate. Along with the millennial and longer-term variations linked to the THC, the atmospheric circulation modes are of crucial importance for the interannual and decadal-scale variability. The development of the modern THC pattern during the Neogene resulted from several dramatic tectonic and paleogeographic events which contributed to the reduction of interoceanic exchange in low latitudes and its strengthening in high southern latitudes.