About Andy Brown

Andy is the head of Foundation Science

Areas of expertise:

• Parametrization development.

• Large-eddy simulation.

• Boundary layer turbulence.

• Orographic flows.

Publications by Andy 

Current activities

Andy leads the Foundation Science directorate, which consists of Atmospheric Processes and Parametrizations; Dynamics; Global Model Development; Observation-based Studies. Together these areas provide the science and model developments which are crucial to both weather and climate prediction. Andy co-ordinates the work of these teams, and their links to Weather and Climate Science.

Career background

Andy joined the Met Office in 1990 after gaining a BA in Physics at Oxford University. He initially worked on large-eddy modelling and parametrization of the atmospheric boundary layer, completing a PhD on Modelling Turbulent Sheared Convection at the University of Surrey in 1995. He also worked on modelling of cumulus convection and flow over hills, before becoming Manager of the Orography Group in 1999.

In 2004, after a year-long secondment to  ECMWF as a Consultant on Orography, he returned to the Met Office as a Research Fellow, working on a variety of boundary layer and orographic issues. From 2007 to 2010 he was Head of Atmospheric Processes and Parametrizations.

External recognition

•  Andy is co-chair of  WGNE. This group is responsible for fostering the development of atmospheric circulation models for use in weather, climate and environmental prediction on all time scales, and for diagnosing and resolving shortcomings.

• Andy is a member of the NERC Science and Innovation Strategy Board.    

• Andy is an Associate Editor of the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

• Andy received the RMetS Buchan prize in 2008. The Buchan Prize is awarded annually to members of the Royal Meteorological Society for a paper or papers published in the previous five years in the Quarterly Journal, the International Journal of Climatology or Atmospheric Science Letters, and judged to contain the most important original contribution or contributions to meteorology.

• Andy received the  RMetS L.F. Richardson prize in 1999. The L.F. Richardson prize is awarded annually for an outstanding paper published in the  RMetS journals by an author under 35.

• Andy was a member of the American Meteorological Society Committee on Boundary Layers and Turbulence from 2008-2011