Big, Bigger, Biggest

I applaud you for having the guts to publish an article that describes what will happen to the Los Angeles Basin in the probable event of a major earthquake. One criticism I have, however, is that you played down the threat of the San Andreas Fault. Frequency studies have shown that the southern end of the fault produces a major quake of 8.0 or greater on an average of every 130 years. The last such quake was in 1857. The quake could sever two major aqueducts and cut off all water supplies to the Los Angeles Basin.

The Junior League of Los Angeles, together with Quake Safe, a nonprofit corporation, is working to educate and prepare Los Angeles residents for the big one; telephone (213) 937-5566.

KIMBERLY D. IVERSON

CHAIRMAN, NEIGHBORHOOD EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS PROJECT

Los Angeles