X-Message-Number: 994 Date: Wed, 15 Jul 92 22:42 GMT From: David Brandt'erichsen <> Subject: for Cryonet Letters-to-the-Editor, Cryonics I am dismayed to hear that the potential move of Alcor to Arizona fell through, especially in the light of a recent article in the New York Times pointing out that Riverside is in an especially dangerous area for earthquake damage--much more so than L.A. itself. I quote the article: Having examined their preliminary data, scientists now say the twin earthquakes that struck on June 28...significantly increased the likelihood that the south part of the San Andreas will soon generate a magnitude 8 or greater earthquake, popularly called the Big One.... Lucile Jones, a leading expert on the southern San Andreas at the USGS office in Pasadena, said: "This is a wake-up call. I think we're closer than 30 years. It could be two years or five years or longer...." The southern end of the San Andreas fault has not ruptured for more than 300 years, Jones said. When it does, the shaking will be many times stronger than the Landers earthquake and could last up to 3.5 minutes. The Landers quake lasted 32 seconds. Such a catastrophic earthquake could devastate cities such as San Bernardino, Riverside, and Palm Springs, which are within 20 miles of the San Andreas Fault, said Thomas Henyey, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California.... Alcor needs long-term stability (in more ways than one) if it is to succeed. It is unfortunate to have lost this opportunity to be free of the lack of stability in the ground it rests on. Sincerely, David Brandt-Erichsen Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=994