title: Introduction. Stochastic physics and climate modelling.
abstract: Finite computing resources limit the spatial resolution of state-of-the-art global climate simulations to hundreds of kilometres. In neither the atmosphere nor the ocean are small-scale processes such as convection, clouds and ocean eddies properly represented. Climate simulations are known to depend, sometimes quite strongly, on the resulting bulk-formula representation of unresolved processes. Stochastic physics schemes within weather and climate models have the potential to represent the dynamical effects of unresolved scales in ways which conventional bulk-formula representations are incapable of so doing. The application of stochastic physics to climate modelling is a rapidly advancing, important and innovative topic. The latest research findings are gathered together in the Theme Issue for which this paper serves as the introduction.
authors.affiliation: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Shinfield Park, Reading RG2 9AX, UK.
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Williams