My Top Ten Favorite Modern Scientists

I just now noticed that pioneering hurricane forecaster William Gray has just died. This got me thinking about how much I respected him and he is one of my favorite modern scientists. That combined with the fact that I recently compiled another top ten list of my birthday experiences yesterday, which still being on my mind, inspired me to compile this list while the names are fresh in my mind.  Note: this list is subject to change!

1. Dr. Kate Hutton (Caltech seismologist, earthquake researcher and educator 1977-2015)
2. Dr. Allen Lindh (USGS seismologist, earthquake researcher 1970-2003)
3. Dr. Howard Bluestein (U. of OK meteorologist, tornado researcher 1976-present)
4. Dr. Costas Synolakis (USC tsunami researcher)
5. Dr. William Gray ( Colorado State U. meteorologist, hurricane researcher 1961-2005)
6. Dr. George Plafker (USGS seismologist, earthquake & tsunami researcher 1951-1965, 1962-1995)
7. Dr. Ted Fujita (U. of Chicago meteorologist, tornado researcher 1953-1990)
8. Dr. William Patzert (JPL oceanographer and climatologist 1983-present)
9. Dr. Stephen J. Pyne (Arizona State U. professor of life sciences, wildfire researcher & historian)
10. Dr. Richard Feynman (Caltech physicist, Nobel Prize winner & noted lecturer 1949-1985)