27 May 1997

Dr. Emilio Vera
Departamento de Geofisica
Facultad de Ciencias Fisicas y Matematicas
Universidad de Chile
Casilla 2777
Santiago,  CHILE

(Email: evera@dgf.uchile.cl)

Dear Emilio:

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 Enrique Triep from Argentina.
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 tentatively agreeing to participate in this proposed
research. I look forward to working with you. 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. Also note that neither
you nor your institution is in any way obligated to do anything.  At this
stage we are all just saying that we are giving the project serious
consideration.

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
changes in dip of the subduction zone, the structure of accreted terrains,
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 your university.  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 worth pursuing, you might discuss the matter with your administration.


Sincerely,


Dr. William Menke
Professor