author
Dwight R. (Dwight Raymond) Crandell
1923–2009
A pioneering American volcanologist, he helped change how scientists understand volcanic hazards in the Pacific Northwest. His writing brings the long history of mountains like Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens into clear, readable focus.
1 Audiobook
The Geologic Story of Mount Rainier A look at the geologic past of one of America's most scenic volcanoes
by Dwight R. (Dwight Raymond) Crandell
About the author
Born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1923, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II before returning to geology. He earned his PhD from Yale University and then joined the U.S. Geological Survey, where he built a long career studying volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest.
He became especially well known for research on volcano hazards and for work with colleague Donal R. Mullineaux that warned Mount St. Helens could erupt before the end of the twentieth century. When the mountain erupted in 1980, that earlier work was widely recognized as important and farsighted.
As an author, he wrote in a way that made complex geology approachable for general readers as well as students and researchers. Books such as The Geologic Story of Mount Rainier reflect the practical, curious spirit that shaped both his science and his public writing.