David A. Johnston
David Alexander Johnston | |
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Occupation | Volcanologist |
David Alexander Johnston (December 18, 1949 – May 18, 1980) 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.[1]
Johnston's career took him across the United States, where he studied the Augustine Volcano in Alaska, the San Juan volcanic field in Colorado, and long-extinct volcanoes in Michigan. Johnston was a meticulous and talented scientist, known for his analyses of volcanic gases and their relationship to eruptions. This, along with his enthusiasm and positive attitude, made him liked and respected by many co-workers. After his death, other scientists lauded his character, both verbally and in dedications and letters. Johnston felt scientists must do what is necessary, including taking risks, to help protect the public from natural disasters. His work, and that of fellow USGS scientists, convinced authorities to close Mount St. Helens to the public before the 1980 eruption. They maintained the closure despite heavy pressure to re-open the area; their work saved thousands of lives. His story became intertwined with the popular image of volcanic eruptions and their threat to society, and a part of volcanology's history. To date, Johnston, along with his mentee Harry Glicken, is one of two American volcanologists known to have died in a volcanic eruption.
Following his death, Johnston was commemorated in several ways, including a memorial fund established in his name at the University of Washington to fund graduate-level research. Two volcano observatories were established and named after him: one in Vancouver, Washington, and another on the ridge where he died. Johnston's life and death are featured in several documentaries, films, docudramas and books. A biography of his life, A Hero on Mount St. Helens: The Life and Legacy of David A. Johnston, was published 2019.[2]
Life and career
Johnston was born at the University of Chicago Hospital on December 18, 1949,[3] to Thomas and Alice Johnston.[4] They originally lived in Hometown, Illinois, but moved to Oak Lawn shortly after Johnston's birth, where he grew to adulthood.[3] Johnston grew up with one sister. His father worked as an engineer at a local company and his mother as a newspaper editor. Johnston often took photographs for his mother's newspaper and contributed articles to his school's newspaper. He never married.[3]
After graduating from Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Johnston attended the
Johnston spent the summer after college in the
During the summers of 1978 and 1979, Johnston led studies of the ash-flow sheet emplaced in the 1912 eruption of
Later in 1978, Johnston joined the United States Geological Survey (USGS), where he monitored volcanic emission levels in the Cascades and Aleutian Arc. There he helped to strengthen the theory that eruptions can be predicted, to some degree, by changes in the makeup of volcanic gases.[9] Fellow volcanologist Wes Hildreth said of Johnston, "I think Dave's dearest hope was that systematic monitoring of fumarolic emissions might permit detection of changes characteristically precursory to eruptions ... Dave wanted to formulate a general model for the behavior of magmatic volatiles prior to explosive outbursts and to develop a corollary rationale for the evaluation of hazards."[5] During this time, Johnston continued to visit Mount Augustine every summer and also assessed the geothermal energy potential of the Azores and Portugal. In the last year of his life, Johnston developed an interest in the health, agricultural, and environmental effects of both volcanic and anthropogenic emissions to the atmosphere.[5]
Johnston was based at the branch of the USGS in Menlo Park, California, but his work on volcanoes took him all over the Pacific Northwest region. When the first earthquakes shook Mount St. Helens on March 16, 1980, Johnston was nearby at the University of Washington, where he had pursued his doctorate. Intrigued by the possible event of an eruption, Johnston contacted Stephen Malone, a professor of geology at the university. Malone had been his mentor when Johnston had worked at the San Juan complex in Colorado, and Johnston admired his work.[3] Malone stated that he "put him to work" almost instantly, allowing Johnston to escort interested reporters to a place near the volcano.[10] Johnston was the first geologist on the volcano,[5] and soon became a leader within the USGS team, taking charge of monitoring of volcanic gas emissions.[10]
Eruption of Mount St. Helens
Precursor activity
Since its last eruptive activity in 1857, Mount St. Helens had been largely
Similar activity continued at the volcano over the following weeks, excavating the crater, forming an adjacent caldera, and erupting small amounts of steam, ash, and tephra. With each new eruption, the plumes of steam and ash from the volcano rose, eventually climbing to 20,000 feet (6,000 m). By late March, the volcano was erupting up to 100 times per day.[13] Spectators congregated in the vicinity of the mountain, hoping for a chance to see its eruptions. They were joined by reporters in helicopters, as well as mountain climbers.[13]
On April 17, a bulge (or "
Final signs and primary blast
Given the increasing seismic and volcanic activity, Johnston and the other volcanologists working for the USGS in its Vancouver branch prepared to observe any impending eruption. Geologist Don Swanson and others placed reflectors on and around the growing domes,
Tiltmeters installed on the volcano's north side displayed a northwest trending tilt for that side of the mountain, and a southwest trending tilt was observed on the south side. Worried that the amount of pressure on the magma underground was increasing, scientists analyzed gases by the crater, and found high traces of sulfur dioxide. After this discovery, they began to regularly check the fumarolic activity and monitor the volcano for dramatic changes, but none were observed. Disheartened, they instead opted to study the growing bulge and the threat an avalanche could have for humans relatively near the volcano.[17] An evaluation of the threat was carried out, concluding that a landslide or avalanche in the Toutle River could spawn lahars, or mudflows, downstream.[14]
At that point, the previously consistent phreatic activity had become intermittent. Between May 10 and 17, the only change occurred on the volcano's north flank, as the bulge increased in size. On May 16 and 17, the mountain stopped its phreatic eruptions completely.[17]
The active Mount St. Helens was radically different from its dormant form, now featuring an enormous bulge and several craters. In the week preceding the eruption, cracks formed in the north sector of the volcano's summit, indicating a movement of magma.[17]
At 8:32 a.m. local time the next day (May 18), an earthquake measuring magnitude 5.1 rocked the area, triggering the landslide that started the main eruption. In a matter of seconds, vibrations from the earthquake loosened 2.7 cubic kilometers (0.6 cu mi) of rock on the mountain's north face and summit, creating a massive landslide.
The extent, speed and direction of the avalanche and pyroclastic flows that overwhelmed Johnston, Martin, and others were later described in detail in a paper titled 'Chronology and Character of the May 18, 1980 Explosive Eruptions of Mount St. Helens', published in 1984 in a collection published by the
The eruption was heard hundreds of miles away,[25] but some of those who survived the eruption declared that the landslide and pyroclastic flows were silent as they raced down the mountain. Kran Kilpatrick, an employee of the United States Forest Service, recalled, "There was no sound to it, not a sound. It was like a silent movie and we were all in it."[26] The reason for this discrepancy is a "quiet zone", created as a result of the motion and temperature of air and, to a lesser extent, upon local topography.[25]
Famous for telling reporters that being on the mountain was like "standing next to a dynamite keg and the fuse is lit",[27] Johnston had been among the first volcanologists at the volcano when eruptive signs appeared, and shortly after was named the head of volcanic gas monitoring. He and several other volcanologists prevented people from being near the volcano during the few months of pre-eruptive activity, and successfully fought pressure to re-open the area.[9] Their work kept the death toll at a few tens of individuals, instead of the thousands who possibly could have been killed had the region not been sealed off.
USGS team and rescue efforts
Many USGS scientists worked on the team monitoring the volcano, but it was graduate student Harry Glicken who had been manning the Coldwater II observation post for the two and a half weeks immediately preceding the eruption.[28] The evening before the eruption he was scheduled to be relieved by USGS geologist Don Swanson, but something came up, and Swanson asked Johnston to take his place. Johnston agreed. That Saturday, the day before the eruption took place, Johnston ascended the mountain and went on a patrol of the volcano with geologist Carolyn Driedger. Tremors shook the mountain. Driedger was supposed to camp on one of the ridges overlooking the volcano that night, but Johnston told her to head home and said that he would stay on the volcano alone.[29] While at Coldwater II, Johnston was to observe the volcano for any further signs of an eruption.[30] Just prior to his departure, at 7 p.m. on the evening of May 17, 13½ hours before the eruption, Glicken took the famous photograph of Johnston sitting by the observation-post trailer with a notebook on his lap, smiling.[17]
The following morning, May 18, at 8:32 a.m.,[31] the volcano erupted. Immediately, rescue workers were dispatched to the area. The official USGS pilot, Lon Stickney, who had been flying the scientists to the mountain, conducted the first rescue attempt. He flew his helicopter over the scarred remains of trees, valleys, and the Coldwater II observation post ridge, where he saw bare rock and uprooted trees. Because he saw no sign of Johnston's trailer, Stickney began to panic, becoming "emotionally distraught".[32]
Frantic and guilt-stricken, Harry Glicken convinced three separate helicopter pilots to take him up on flights over the devastated area in a rescue attempt, but the eruption had so changed the landscape that they were unable to locate any sign of the Coldwater II observation post. In 1993, while building a 9-mile (14 km) extension of Washington State Route 504 (also called "Spirit Lake Memorial Highway") to lead to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, construction workers discovered pieces of Johnston's trailer.[33] His body, however, has never been recovered.[34]
Consequences and response
The public was shocked by the extent of the eruption, which had lowered the elevation of the summit by 1,313 feet (400 m), destroyed 230 square miles (600 km2) of woodland, and spread ash into other states and Canada.
The disaster was the deadliest and most destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States of America. A total of 57 people are known to have died, and more were left homeless when the ash falls and pyroclastic flows destroyed or buried 200 houses. In addition to the human fatalities, thousands of animals perished. The official estimate from the USGS was 7,000 game animals, 12 million salmon fingerlings, and 40,000 salmon.[35]
Two years after the eruption, the United States government set aside 110,000 acres (450 km2) of land for the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. This protected area, which includes the Johnston Ridge Observatory and several other research and visitor centers, serves as an area for scientific research, tourism, and education.[36]
Legacy
Scientific
Johnston was commemorated by both his fellow scientists and by the government. Known for his diligent and particular nature, he was called "an exemplary scientist" by a USGS dedication paper, which also described him as "unaffectedly genuine, with an infectious curiosity and enthusiasm".[9] He was quick to "dissipate cynicism" and believed that "careful evaluation and interpretation" was the best approach to his work.[9] An obituary notice for Johnston stated that at the time of his death he had been "among the leading young volcanologists in the world" and that his "enthusiasm and warmth" would be "missed at least as much as his scientific strength".[37] Following the eruption, Harry Glicken and other geologists at the USGS dedicated their work to Johnston.[38]
Because Johnston was believed to be safe at the Coldwater II observation post, the fact that he died shocked his friends and co-workers alike. However, most of his colleagues and family asserted that Johnston died "doing what he wanted to do."[4] His mother stated in an interview shortly after the eruption, "Not many people get to do what they really want to do in this world, but our son did. ... He would tell us he may never get rich but he was doing what he wanted. He wanted to be near if the eruption came. In a phone call on Mother's Day, he told us it's a sight very few geologists get to see."[4] Dr. Stephen Malone agreed that Johnston died doing what he loved, and stated that he "was very good at his work".[10]
Johnston's role in the study of the volcano in the weeks leading up to the eruption was acknowledged in 1981 in a chronology of the eruption, published as part of the USGS report titled 'The 1980 Eruptions of Mount St. Helens, Washington':
Among the many contributors of data, none was more essential to the systematic reconstruction of the events of 1980 at Mount St. Helens than David Johnston, to whose memory this report is dedicated. Dave, who was present through all of the activity up to the climactic eruption and who lost his life in that eruption, provided far more than data. His insights and his thoroughly scientific attitude were crucial to the entire effort; they still serve as a model for us all.
— R. L. Christiansen and D. W. Peterson, Chronology of the 1980 Eruptive Activity[39]
Since Johnston's death, his field of
In addition to his work, Johnston himself has become part of the history of volcanic eruptions. With Harry Glicken, he is one of two volcanologists from the United States to die in a volcanic eruption.[42] Glicken was being mentored by Johnston, who relieved Glicken of his watch at the Coldwater II observation post 13 hours before Mount St. Helens erupted.[28] Glicken died in 1991, eleven years later, when a pyroclastic flow overran him and several others at Mount Unzen in Japan.[42][43]
Commemoration
Early acts of commemoration included two trees that were planted in
On the second anniversary of the eruption, the USGS office in Vancouver (which had been permanently established following the 1980 eruption) was renamed the David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) in his memory.[45] This volcano observatory is the one most responsible for monitoring Mount St. Helens, and helped to predict all of the volcano's eruptions between 1980 and 1985.[46] In a 2005 open day, the lobby area of the CVO included a display and painting commemorating Johnston.[47]
Johnston's connections with the University of Washington (where he had carried out his masters and doctoral research) are remembered by a memorial fund that established an endowed graduate-level fellowship within what is now the department of Earth and Space Sciences. By the time of the first anniversary of his death, the fund had exceeded $30,000. Known as the 'David A. Johnston Memorial Fellowship for Research Excellence', a number of awards of this fellowship have been made over the years since it was launched.[8][48]
Following the eruption, the area where the Coldwater II observation post had been was sectioned off. Eventually, an observatory was built in the area in Johnston's name, and opened in 1997.[49] Located just over 5 miles (8 km) from the north flank of Mount St. Helens, the Johnston Ridge Observatory (JRO) allows the public to admire the open crater, new activity, and the creations of the 1980 eruption, including an extensive basalt field. Part of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, the JRO was constructed for $10.5 million, equipped with monitoring equipment. Visited by thousands of tourists annually, it also includes tours, a theater, and an exhibit hall.[50]
There are several public memorials where Johnston's name is inscribed in a list of those known to have died in the eruption. These memorials include a large curved granite monument at an outside viewing area at the Johnston Ridge Observatory, which opened in 1997, and a plaque at the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center, which was unveiled in a memorial grove in May 2000.[51]
Depictions
There have been several tellings of Johnston's story in documentaries, films and docudramas about the eruption.
In the 1981 HBO television film St. Helens, actor David Huffman starred as David Jackson, a fictional character supposedly based on Johnston, but with almost no representation of his actions in 1980. Johnston's parents objected to the production of the film, arguing that it possessed not "an ounce of David in it" and portrayed "him as a daredevil rather than a careful scientist".[21] Johnston's mother stated that the film had changed many true aspects of the eruption, and depicted her son as "a rebel" with "a history of disciplinary trouble".[21] Prior to the film's premiere on May 18, 1981, the first anniversary of the eruption, 36 scientists who knew Johnston signed a letter of protest. They wrote that, "Dave's life was too meritorious to require fictional embellishments," and that, "Dave was a superbly conscientious and creative scientist."[52]
Several documentaries and docudramas have covered the history of the eruption, including archive footage and dramatisations of Johnston's story. These include Up From the Ashes (1990) by
Works
- Johnston, David A.; Donnelly-Nolan, Julie, eds. (1981). "Guides to Some Volcanic Terranes in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Northern California". Circular. U.S. Geological Survey Circular. Vol. 838. United States Geological Survey. doi:10.3133/cir838. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- Johnston, David A. (1979). "Volcanic gas studies at Alaskan volcanoes". U. S. Geological Survey Circular (Report). C 0804-B. Reston, Virginia, US: United States Geological Survey: B83–B84. ISSN 0364-6017.
- Johnston, David A. (1979). "Revision of the recent eruption history of Augustine Volcano; elimination of the "1902 eruption"". U. S. Geological Survey Circular (Report). C 0804-B. Reston, Virginia, US: United States Geological Survey: B80–B84. ISSN 0364-6017.
- Johnston, David A. (1979). "Onset of volcanism at Augustine Volcano, lower Cook Inlet". U. S. Geological Survey Circular (Report). C 0804-B. Reston, Virginia, US: United States Geological Survey: B78–B80. ISSN 0364-6017.
- Johnston, David A. (1978). Volatiles, magma mixing, and the mechanism of eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska. Ph.D. Thesis. Seattle, Washington, US: University of Washington.
- Johnston, David A. (1978). Volcanistic facies and implications for the eruptive history of the Cimarron Volcano, San Juan Mountains, SW Colorado. Master's Thesis. Seattle, Washington, US: University of Washington.
Notes
- ^ "Workers may have found body of man buried by volcano ash". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. June 29, 1993. p. 5A.
- ISBN 978-0-252-08431-7.
- ^ Longview Daily News. McClelland-Natt family. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Volcanologist reported missing". Star-News. Gruber, Bob. May 21, 1980. Retrieved April 2, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hildreth, Wes (March 28, 2006). "Geological Survey Circular 838". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- )
- ^ Johnston, David A. (1978). Volcanistic facies and implications for the eruptive history of the Cimarron Volcano, San Juan Mountains, SW Colorado. Master's Thesis. Seattle, WA, US: University of Washington.
- ^ a b c d Associated Press (May 18, 1981). "Geologist's kin delay sad visit: Parents await quieter time to see site where son died". Eugene, OR, US.: Eugene Register-Guard. pp. 1B. Retrieved April 12, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d Topinka, Lyn (December 28, 2007). "David A. Johnston December 1949 – May 18, 1980". USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- ^ a b c Hill, p. 33.
- ^ a b c Klimasauskas, Ed, and Topinka, Lyn (2010). "Mount St. Helens Precursory Activity: March 22–28, 1980". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Klimasauskas, Ed, and Topinka, Lyn (2010). "Mount St. Helens Precursory Activity: March 15–21, 1980". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Bryson, p. 220.
- ^ a b c Fisher, p. 91.
- ^ Parchman, pp. 108–109.
- ^ Balog, James (December 2004 – January 2005). "Back to the Blast". National Geographic Adventure. Washington, DC, US: National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Topinka, Lyn (2010). "Mount St. Helens Precursory Activity: May 10–17, 1980". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2010.
- ^ "Description: May 18, 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens". United States Geological Survey. March 28, 2005. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ "Description: What was the largest landslide in the United States? In the world?". United States Geological Survey. March 28, 2005. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ "Description: May 18, 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens". United States Geological Survey. March 28, 2005. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Family Unhappy With Film Portrayal Of Son". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. The News-Journal Corporation. December 1, 1980. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ Stepankowsky, Andre (May 16, 2005). "Memories, lessons from mountain's fury". The Daily News. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- ^ "Gerry Martin". Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens. September 7, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 9780309033930.
- ^ a b c Tilling, R.I; Topinka, L.; Swanson, D.A. (1990). Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, Present, and Future. U.S. Geological Survey Special Interest Publication. Reston, VA, US: United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ^ Sandler, p. 91.
- ^ "Speeding rock, ash possible". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. March 28, 1980. Retrieved May 1, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Parchman, p. 46.
- Callimachi, Rukmini (October 4, 2004). "For scientists, this volcano study is personal". The World. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ Harris, p. 205.
- ^ "Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument". United States Forest Service. November 26, 2006. Retrieved October 20, 2004.
- Eugene Register-Guard.
- ^ Associated Press (June 29, 1993). "Workers may have found body of man buried by volcanic ash". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. pp. 1A. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
- ^ "Across the USA: News From Every State". USA Today. June 30, 1993.
- ^ a b c Topinka, Lyn (December 27, 2006). "Report: Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, Present, and Future". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ "Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument". United States Forest Service. March 31, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ^ "Death of David Johnston at St. Helens". Scientific Event Alert Network. SEAN 05:05. Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network. May 1980.
- ^ Parchman, p. 142.
- )
- ^ S2CID 128834845. Archived from the originalon June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-12-440658-2.
- ^ a b Lopes, p. 43.
- ^ Siegel, Lee (June 7, 1991). "Geologist Killed in Japan Eruption: Escaped Death when Mt. St. Helens Blew". Ludington Daily News. Retrieved April 10, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "David Johnston Center, 9400 S. Oak Park Ave". Oak Lawn Park District. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
- ^ Topinka, Lyn (December 8, 2009). "Establishing the David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- .
- ^ Topinka, Lyn (May 21, 2005). "CVO Open House, May 21, 2005". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ^ "Student Awards". University of Washington. 2010. Archived from the original on June 23, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
- ^ Topinka, Lyn (July 22, 2009). "Mount St. Helens and Vicinity Points of Interest: Johnston Ridge and Johnston Ridge Observatory". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 20, 2000.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Parchman, p. 206.
- National Geographic. Archived from the originalon April 22, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
- ^ "Surviving Disaster". BBC Active – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Rescued From Mount St. Helens". We'll Meet Again with Ann Curry. PBS. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
References
- ISBN 0-385-66686-1.
- Fisher, Richard V. (2000). Out of the Crater: Chronicles of a Volcanologist. ISBN 0-691-00226-6.
- ISBN 978-0-87842-220-3.
- Hill, Richard L. (2004). Volcanoes of the Cascades: Their Rise and Their Risks. Globe Pequot. ISBN 0-7627-3072-2.
- Holmes, Melanie (2019). A Hero on Mount St. Helens: The Life and Legacy of David A. Johnston. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-08431-7.
- ISBN 0-521-55453-5.
- Parchman, Frank (2005). Echoes of Fury: The 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens and the Lives it Changed Forever. Kent Sturgis. ISBN 0-9745014-3-3.
- Sandler, Martin W. (2003). America's Great Disasters. ISBN 0-06-029107-9.
External links
- David A. Johnston (United States Geological Survey obituary, hosted by the Cascades Volcano Observatory)
- David Alexander Johnston – memoriam article by Wes Hildreth – includes 1978 photograph of Johnston (USGS Geological Survey Circular 838, hosted by the US National Park Service)
- David Johnston – memorial page that includes photographs of Johnston following his arrival at the volcano (St. Helens Hero website)
- This is it – 1995 local newspaper retrospective on Johnston (St. Helens Hero website)
- The Victims of the Eruption – memorial page that includes a photograph of the Hoffstadt Bluffs memorial plaque (The many faces of Mount St. Helens website)
- Mount St. Helens - Victims – map that shows the position of Johnston and the others killed by the eruption (The Daily News, TDN.com)