Map Graph

David A. Johnston

American volcanologist (1949–1980)

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.

Read article
File:MSH80_david_johnston_at_camp_05-17-80_med_(cropped).jpgFile:Dave_Johnston_with_gas-detection_instrument_at_Mount_St._Helens,_4_April_1980_(USGS)_1.jpgFile:David_A._Johnson_yearbook_photo_1967.pngFile:Dave_Johnston_going_into_Mount_St._Helens_crater_to_sample_lake,_30_April_1980_(USGS)_cropped.jpgFile:Dave_Johnston_collecting_sample_from_Mount_St._Helens_crater_lake,_30_April_1980_(USGS)_cropped.jpgFile:David_Johnston_near_crest_of_the_bulge_on_the_north_side_of_Mount_St._Helens,_17_May_1980_(USGS)_cropped_2.JPGFile:Mount_St._Helens,_one_day_before_the_devastating_eruption.jpgFile:MSH80_st_helens_from_johnston_ridge_09-10-80.jpgFile:ColdwaterII_LANDSAT7color.pngFile:Mt_st_helens_Johnston_ridge_25_years_later.jpgFile:Mount-St-Helens-Johnston-Ridge-36-years-later.JPGFile:Johston_Ridge_Observatory_in_December_2005_(USGS).jpgFile:Sign_for_Cascades_Volcano_Observatory_on_Open_day_2005_(USGS)_cropped.JPGFile:Mount_St._Helens_eruption_memorial,_Johnston_Ridge.jpg
Top Questions
AI generated

List the top facts about David A. Johnston

Summarize this article

What is the single most intriguing fact about David A. Johnston?

Are there any controversies surrounding David A. Johnston?

More questions