27 May 1997

Dr. Enrique Triep
Departamento de Geofisica
Universidad Nacional de San Juan,
Meglioli 1160 - Sur, Rivadavia,
5400 San Juan, Argentina

(Email: triep@andes.unsj.edu.ar)

Dear Enrique:

Please find enclosed a copy of the the "Andes Volcano Undershooting
Experiment" proposal that Columbia University has submitted to the US
National Science Foundation (NSF). As you know, this proposal outlines
a project to study the mantle and deep crust beneath Andean volcanos
using seimological techniques.  The research team includes you and me,
several other scientists from Columbia University (Leonardo Seeber, Charles
Langmuir, David Sparks and Maya Tolstoy), and Emilio Vera from Chile.
Columbia Univ. has assigned me the role of "Principal Investigator",
which means that I am responsible for overseeing Columbia's participation
in this project.

I want to thank you for all your contributions to this proposal, and
especially with all your efforts during this January's Andes Prototype
Experiment, which provided very exciting preliminary data, as well as
important logistical information.  I believe that we have put together
a great International research team, and that our project will be
reviewed favorably. (However, keep in mind that big projects like these
can take several resubmissions to achieve funding).

Our volcano project is but one of several that we have discussed.  We
have put it forward first mainly because of my judgement that my recent
successes with Icelandic volcanos might give me special credibility in
the eyes of NSF, and thus enhance our funding chances.  But there several
other equally interesting research areas that we should also pursue (e.g
the intraplate seismicity east of the Andes, the structure of continental
sutures, hazard assessment, etc).  I suggest that we both continue to
work on developing such projects.

Ultimately, I believe that we will be able to develop several seismoloical
and volcanological projects that could involve collaboration between
Columbia and UNSJ scientists.  If such is the case, having a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) between our institutions might be mutually beneficial.
I have discussed the matter with Dr. Eisenberger, our Director, who believes
that exploring the possibility is a good idea.  If you judge that an MOU
would be beneficial to UNSJ, you might discuss the matter with your
administration.


Sincerely,


Dr. William Menke
Professor