Paul Johnson named American Geophysical Union Fellow

April 25, 2011—Paul Johnson of the Laboratory's Geophysics group has been selected as a 2011 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fellow.

The position of Fellow is a special tribute for those who have made exceptional scientific contributions to the Earth and space sciences. This designation is awarded to no more than 0.1 percent of all AGU members in any given year. A committee of Fellows chooses new Fellows.

Research areas

Johnson's research includes

• nonlinear and disordered systems
• seismic strong ground motion
• general acoustics
• rock physics
• acoustical nondestructive testing of materials
• earthquake source mechanics
• time reverse acoustics in solids

He and collaborators have pioneered a new field of research: nonlinear, nonequilibrium dynamics. His discoveries have implications for geophysics, nondestructive evaluation of materials, seismology, and medical diagnostics. Johnson's research in seismology focuses on the triggering of earthquakes and the tremor phenomenon, and he has contributed to programs that monitor for potential nuclear explosions. His research also is leading to possible development of new diagnostic tools for osteoporosis. Johnson's published papers have been cited nearly 1,200 times.

Previous awards

Johnson, who has a doctorate in physical acoustics from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie at the Sorbonne, Paris, is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, a Fulbright Scholar to France, and a Los Alamos National Laboratory Fellow. He is a member of the board of editors of Wave Motion, associate editor of Comptes-Rendus Mécanique of the French Academy of Sciences, a thirteen-time organizer of the International Workshop on Nonlinear Elasticity in Materials, and a Steering Committee Member of the International Symposia on Nonlinear Acoustics. Johnson has received the Médaille Étrangère from the Société Française d'Acoustique (French Acoustic Society) and a LANL Scientific Achievement Award. He joined the Laboratory more than 25 years ago.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is an international non-profit scientific association with more than 60,000 members. Its research encompasses everything from the exploration of the planets, to studies of the structure and chemical composition of the Earth's deep interior, to understanding the Earth's atmosphere and the causes of climate change.