astronomy

Richard Robertson

Richard Robertson 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 Richard Robertson rather than just read about it. In short: Richard E. A.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Richard E. A. Robertson is a Professor of Geology and past Director of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre. He studied Geology and Volcanology at Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and Leeds University, United Kingdom.

Early life and education Robertson was born in Saint Vincent. He became interested in volcanology after waking up to the La Soufrière eruption on 1979. He studied geology at the University of the West Indies and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1987. After graduating he was appointed Head of the Soufriere Monitoring Unit in St. Vincent. He moved to the United Kingdom for his graduate studies, and earned a master's degree in volcanology at Leeds. Robertson moved back to the UWI for his doctoral degree and completed a PhD in geology at the University of the West Indies in 2003. For his doctoral studies he worked on the volcanic geology of pre-Soufriere rocks in St. Vincent. He was part of the team who were first on the ground monitoring the Soufriere Hills Volcano. In 1995 he published a paper based on his Master's research that was the first risk assessment of La Soufriere volcano.

Research and career After six years leading the volcano-monitoring unit in St. Vincent, Robertson joined the staff of SRC in 1993. During the eruptions of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, he served several tours of duty as Chief Scientist of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory from 1995–1999 and was Director from October 1998 – March 1999. He was appointed Director of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre in 2008 and apart from a brief two year break from 2011–2013, he held this position until November 2019, when he was succeeded by Erouscilla (Pat) Joseph. As Director of SRC he secured grants from the United States Agency for International Development and Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, as well as the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in order to develop a more robust monitoring network and enhance and diversity the education and outreach provided by the centre. In 2007 Robertson travelled to the University of Bristol supported by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. Here he worked on geothermal fluid analysis using atomic absorption spectroscopy and ion chromatography. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory has been managed by Seismic Research Centre since 2008. He was promoted to Professor at the University of the West Indies in May 2017. Here he developed the volcanic hazard atlas of the Caribbean. He has been part of the large-scale NERC-funded STREVA and VOILA programmes. In 2018 he launched Volcano Ready, a project to help communities manage the impacts of the La Soufriere volcano of St. Vincent. Robertson played a key role along with the staff of SRC in managing the eruption of La Soufriere on St Vincent in 2021. Robertson joined the crew aboard EV Nautilus in 2014. He took part in the Kick 'em Jenny Submarine Volcano Project, which was captained by expedition leader Katy Croff Bell. He has recently voiced his concern over whether Trinidad and Tobago is prepared for a strong earthquake. Robertson has served as a consultant for UNESCO, the Organization of American States and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He is a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Environmental Commission. He was awarded the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence for science and technology in 2014.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Robertson

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Robertson 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 Richard Robertson 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 Richard Robertson 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 Richard Robertson

In research: Richard Robertson 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 Richard Robertson 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: Richard Robertson is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Academic staff of the University of the West Indies, Alumni of the University of Leeds, Living people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Robertson 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 Richard Robertson in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Robertson in simple terms?

Richard E. A.

Why does Richard Robertson 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 Richard Robertson?

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 Richard Robertson.