astronomy

Johann Lutjeharms

Johann Lutjeharms 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 Johann Lutjeharms rather than just read about it. In short: Johann Reinder Erlers Lutjeharms (13 April 1944 - 8 June 2011), was a leading South African marine scientist and an authority in the oceanography of the Agulhas Current, who authored a definitive work on the subject, The Agulhas Current (Springer 2006). His main field of investigation was the large-scale circulation patterns of the oceans adjacent to southern Africa and their influence on weather and climate, and he…

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Johann Reinder Erlers Lutjeharms (13 April 1944 - 8 June 2011), was a leading South African marine scientist and an authority in the oceanography of the Agulhas Current, who authored a definitive work on the subject, The Agulhas Current (Springer 2006). His main field of investigation was the large-scale circulation patterns of the oceans adjacent to southern Africa and their influence on weather and climate, and he participated in 17 research cruises and was responsible for a further 48 projects undertaken on such cruises.

Scientific career Lutjeharms joined the National Research Institute for Oceanology of the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), where he held the position of chief specialist researcher. He became the Chair of Ocean Climatology at the University of Cape Town in 1990 and, in 1993, became the founding director of UCT's Centre for Marine Studies. He was made Professor Extraordinarius at the University of South Africa in 2009.

Natal pulse He coined the term ‘Natal pulse’ in 1988 to describe a large offshore meander in the Agulhas Current originating near Durban. This meander travels slowly down the east coast of South Africa towards Port Elizabeth, then leaves the coast in a U-turn known as the retroflection. Becoming the Agulhas Return Current, it then turns east, before looping back towards Madagascar.

Delagoa Bight eddy Lutjeharms also described and named the cyclonic Delagoa Bight eddy.

Awards and fellowships Lutjeharms was a recipient of South Africa's highest honour, the Order of Mapungubwe (Silver)(2010), for his contribution to and achievements in oceanographic science. The University of Cape Town has three main forms of recognition for its academic staff; Lutjeharms received all three, and he held honorary degrees from the universities of Johannesburg, Pretoria and Rhodes.

Academy of Science of South Africa SAJS Centenary Award German Humboldt Research Award (1993) European Geophysical Union Fridtjof Nansen Medal National Science and Technology Forum Individual Over a Lifetime (2008) Royal Society of South Africa John FW Herschel Medal South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences Stanley Jackson Award University of Cape Town DSc degree (1992) (the university's most prestigious degree) University of Cape Town Faculty of Science Research Award University of Otago New Zealand Williams Evan Visiting Fellowship National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Category A award winner (2007/2008) South African Network for Coastal and Oceanic Research (Sancor) John D Gilchrist medal

Offices and memberships Academy of Science of South Africa member Council of the South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences member and honorary member Die Afrikaner Genootskap, Stellenbosch, member International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans, working group member International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources working group member Royal Society of South Africa, Fellow, council member and vice-president Scientific Committee for Oceanic Research (SCOR), working group member South African National Committee for Oceanographic Research, member South African Society of Atmospheric Sciences, honorary member, council member Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, member, Faculty Council for Science

Afrikaans Lutjeharms extended his academic endeavours to the Afrikaans language by compiling a dictionary of oceanographic terms, and contributing to the leading dictionary of the language.

Biography

Early life and education Lutjeharms was born in Bloemfontein on 13 April 1944, and attended Grey College. He completed his undergraduate studies in physics and, in 1971, received his MSc (cum laude) in oceanography at the University of Cape Town and was awarded the Harry Crossley Bursary, the Fisheries Development Corporation postgraduate overseas bursary and the CSIR overseas bursary to study for a PhD at the University of Washington, where he graduated in 1977.

Marriage and children Lutjeharms was married to Ronel and they have two children, Wilhelm and Maria.

Death Lutjeharms died at his home in Stellenbosch, aged 67, on World Oceans Day, 8 June 2011, after a 10-year battle with cancer.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Johann Lutjeharms

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Johann Lutjeharms 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 Johann Lutjeharms 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 Johann Lutjeharms 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 Johann Lutjeharms

In research: Johann Lutjeharms 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 Johann Lutjeharms 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: Johann Lutjeharms is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1944 births, 2011 deaths, Academic staff of the University of Cape Town, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Johann Lutjeharms 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 Johann Lutjeharms in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Johann Lutjeharms 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 Johann Lutjeharms out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Johann Lutjeharms in simple terms?

Why does Johann Lutjeharms 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 Johann Lutjeharms?

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 Johann Lutjeharms.