93,772 profiles ranked live

Back to the boardThe board

David A. Johnston

✓ Source-basedfalling

American volcanologist (1949-1980)

United StatesScientistsLived 1949 to 1980 · aged 30
Compare
Fame53.1
MomentumNot measured
Languages17
In century#17,342

David Alexander Johnston was an American United States Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist who was killed by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. S. state of Washington.

Also inDeutsch

Photos 12

Johnston using a correlation spectrometer, which measures ultraviolet radiation as an indicator of the sulfur dioxide content of gases ejected from Mount St. Helens. Photographed on April 4, 1980.Johnston using a correlation spectrometer, which measures ultraviolet radiation as an indicator of the sulfur dioxide content of gases ejected from Mount St. Helens. Photographed on April 4, 1980.Johnston going into the Mount St. Helens crater to sample the lake. Photographed on April 30, 1980.Johnston going into the Mount St. Helens crater to sample the lake. Photographed on April 30, 1980.Johnston sampling the lakeJohnston sampling the lakeJohnston (center) climbing into the summit crater of Mount St. Helens to sample gases. For the scale, see this picture.Johnston (center) climbing into the summit crater of Mount St. Helens to sample gases. For the scale, see this picture.Mount St. Helens one day before the eruption, photographed by Harry Glicken from the ridge where the Coldwater II observation post occupied by Johnston was locatedMount St. Helens one day before the eruption, photographed by Harry Glicken from the ridge where the Coldwater II observation post occupied by Johnston was locatedMount St. Helens four months after the eruption, photographed by Harry Glicken from approximately the same location as the previous photo. In the intervening period, the volcano had erupted, killing Johnston and approximately 60 others, devastating the landscape.Mount St. Helens four months after the eruption, photographed by Harry Glicken from approximately the same location as the previous photo. In the intervening period, the volcano had erupted, killing Johnston and approximately 60 others, devastating the landscape.Johnston's Coldwater II observation post was in the path of the blast when the north side of Mount St. Helens collapsed.Johnston's Coldwater II observation post was in the path of the blast when the north side of Mount St. Helens collapsed.

Scientists from United States 6

Lewis Howard Latimer53.1George Wald53.0Sandra Magnus53.1Theodore Maiman53.0Eleanor F. Helin53.1Ronald J. Garan53.0

About this person

David Alexander Johnston was an American United States Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist who was killed by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the U.S. state of Washington. A principal scientist on the USGS monitoring team, Johnston was killed in the eruption while manning an observation post six miles (10 km) away on the morning of May 18, 1980. He was the first to report the eruption, transmitting "Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!" before he was swept away by a lateral blast; despite a thorough search, Johnston's body was never found, but state highway workers discovered remnants of his USGS trailer in 1993.

Country
United States
Category
Scientists
Type
Scientist
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 1949 to 1980 · aged 30
Written about in
17 languages

Fame.am measures public visibility signals. It does not measure human value, talent, morality, or credibility.