Professor John Alan Chalmers (29 September 1904 – 14 March 1967) was a British atmospheric physicist based at Durham University.
He is well known for his contributions to atmospheric electricity, particularly an internationally respected textbook, and, outside his scientific work, for his involvement with Scouting.
In 1923 he won an open scholarship to Queens' College, Cambridge and graduated with a first class degree in Natural Sciences (Physics).
This approach reflected his rigorous and broad training in experimental physics typical of the Cavendish Laboratory led by Thomson and Rutherford.
He also demonstrated, by simultaneous measurements at Durham's Observatory and science site (960m apart) that charge can be emitted by steam locomotives and power lines and that these electrical structures remain identifiable whilst being carried by the wind.
[8] On 26 May 2017 the Royal Meteorological Society's Special Interest Group on Atmospheric Electricity held a discussion meeting at Durham's Physics Department to mark the 50th anniversary year of Chalmers' death, which included contributions by his former co-workers,[9] and has inspired a biographical article.