Tim Palmer (physicist)

Timothy Noel Palmer CBE FRS (born 31 December 1952) is a mathematical physicist by training. He has spent most of his career working on the dynamics and predictability of weather and climate. Amongst various research achievements, he pioneered the development of probabilistic ensemble forecasting techniques for weather and climate prediction (at the Met Office and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). These techniques are now standard in operational weather and climate prediction around the world, and are central for reliable decision making for many commercial and humanitarian applications.

Palmer received a 1st Class Joint Honours Degree in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Bristol and a Doctor of Philosophy in General Relativity Theory from the University of Oxford.

As of 2016 Palmer's research is focussed on the development of stochastic parametrisations in weather and climate simulators, and the application of inexact computing techniques for developing ultra-high resolution climate models. Palmer believes strongly that human and computing resources must be pooled internationally in order to develop reliable climate prediction systems. He remains active in the area of fundamental physics, promoting the synergistic "Cosmological Invariant Set Postulate" as a primitive geometric principle for physics of the large and small.

After a chance meeting with geophysicist Raymond Hide, he became interested in climate and was employed by the Met Office – including a year at the University of Washington – becoming Principal Scientific Officer. In 1986 he joined the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts where he led the newly formed Predictability and Diagnostics Division. In 2010 Palmer became a Professor of Climate Physics at the University of Oxford, being one of the "2010 Anniversary" Royal Society Research Professors, created to celebrate the Royal Society's 350th Anniversary. At Oxford, Palmer is additionally co-director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Modelling and Predicting Climate and is a Professorial Fellow at Jesus College, Oxford.

Palmer was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to science, and in April 2015 was elected as an international member of the American Philosophical Society. Other awards include:

• World Meteorological Organisation Norbert Gerbier-Mumm International Award (2006)
• American Meteorological Society Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal (2010)
• Institute of Physics Dirac Gold Medal (for theoretical physics) (2014)

Palmer was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2003.