Dwight Crandell
Encyclopedia
Dwight R. "Rocky" Crandell (1923 - April 6, 2009) was an American
volcanologist
who alongside Donal R. Mullineaux correctly predicted that Mount St. Helens
would erupt before the end of the 20th century.
Born in Illinois, Crandell fought in World War II
as a lieutenant in an Army mortar platoon. Once the war had finished he returned to America and earned a doctorate
from Yale
. It was then he was placed at the USGS office in Colorado. Crandell and Mullineaux, who met at the offices then began to work on the theory that Mount St. Helens will erupt.
The pair proved that about 5,600 years earlier, the summit of Mount Rainier
had collapsed and caused a landslide filling some valleys up to 400 feet deep. That awakened the recognition that a similar event could endanger hundreds of thousands of people living atop the ancient mudflows. They went on to write the 1978 report that claimed Mount St. Helens is “an especially dangerous volcano” and it would more than likely erupt before the end of the 20th century.
On May 18, 1980 their predictions came true when the volcano erupted killing 57 people and caused more than $1 billion worth of damage. He retired shortly after the eruption.
Crandell died in a hospice in Colorado on May 6, 2009 after suffering a heart attack. He is survived by his two children. His wife died in 2006 and her ashes were scattered at Mount Rainier where he had worked many years before.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
volcanologist
Volcanologist
A volcanologist is a person who studies the formation of volcanoes, and their current and historic eruptions. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, especially active ones, to observe volcanic eruptions, collect eruptive products including tephra , rock and lava samples...
who alongside Donal R. Mullineaux correctly predicted that Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
would erupt before the end of the 20th century.
Born in Illinois, Crandell fought in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a lieutenant in an Army mortar platoon. Once the war had finished he returned to America and earned a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
. It was then he was placed at the USGS office in Colorado. Crandell and Mullineaux, who met at the offices then began to work on the theory that Mount St. Helens will erupt.
The pair proved that about 5,600 years earlier, the summit of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
had collapsed and caused a landslide filling some valleys up to 400 feet deep. That awakened the recognition that a similar event could endanger hundreds of thousands of people living atop the ancient mudflows. They went on to write the 1978 report that claimed Mount St. Helens is “an especially dangerous volcano” and it would more than likely erupt before the end of the 20th century.
On May 18, 1980 their predictions came true when the volcano erupted killing 57 people and caused more than $1 billion worth of damage. He retired shortly after the eruption.
Crandell died in a hospice in Colorado on May 6, 2009 after suffering a heart attack. He is survived by his two children. His wife died in 2006 and her ashes were scattered at Mount Rainier where he had worked many years before.