astronomy

James R. Holton

James R. Holton is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James R. Holton rather than just read about it. In short: James Reed Holton (1938–2004) was a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington. He was a specialist on atmospheric dynamics, and the author of the atmospheric science textbook An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology.

Key takeaways

James R. Holton belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect James R. Holton to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of James R. Holton from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

James Reed Holton (1938–2004) was a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington. He was a specialist on atmospheric dynamics, and the author of the atmospheric science textbook An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology. He was at the University of Washington for 38 years, and awarded every major award in the atmospheric sciences. He was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences. The American Geophysical Union has now named an award after him, named the James R. Holton award ).

Bibliography James R. Holton, An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology, Amsterdam, Academic Press, coll. « International geophysics series », 2013, 5th. ed. with Gregory J. Hakim (1st. ed. 1972), 532 p. (ISBN 978-0-12-384867-3, OCLC 810085226) James R. Holton,The dynamic meteorology of the stratosphere and mesosphere, Boston, Springer, coll. « Meteorological Monographs », 1975, 216 p. (ISBN 978-1-935704-31-7) James R. Holton, Judith A. Curry and John A. Pyle (dir.), Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences (6 volumes), Amsterdam, Academic Press, 2780 p. (ISBN 978-0-12-227090-1, OCLC 48752862)

References

External links Homepage Obituary John M. Wallace, "James R. Holton", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2014)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James R. Holton

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James R. Holton claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James R. Holton before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James R. Holton ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James R. Holton

In research: James R. Holton appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James R. Holton in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James R. Holton is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1938 births, 2004 deaths, American meteorologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James R. Holton outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James R. Holton in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James R. Holton means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain James R. Holton out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is James R. Holton in simple terms?

Why does James R. Holton matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James R. Holton?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James R. Holton.