Hello Chris & All,

I happened to meet an architect on a shuttle boat in Catalina who was one of the team of people assigned to check the structural stability of homes and buildings following the Landers quake and in particular he was in the group that red tagged the K-Mart store there. (if you recall it was obviously a total loss)

We were discussing this very prediction in our conversation and he was not concerned in the least about it. Fortunately, being quite knowledgeable about such things, he knew a quake of this magnitude was not likely to cause much damage.

Though our ships itinerary did not include seeing any geologic wonders, he was very interested in seeing the earthquake fault I saw three years ago north of town and said he was going to get a taxi driver to take him up there so he could see it. We only had the choice of seeing the Blow Hole in El Bufadora, which is of little interest to me.

I did hear one ear tone while on my trip and that occurred in San Diego while I was in Old Town, lasting 9 seconds in my right ear. Thus we should have a quake 337 miles south of San Diego ten days from Tuesday 3/30, +/- 37.5 miles. I don't have a map of Mexico and I'm kicking myself now for having had the chance to buy one and didn't. The magnitude will be something in the area of 3.5. Nothing all that spectacular.

I loved Catalina. What a great place to study geology. The island has many geologic features. I was going to bring home some rock samples, however, due to the customs inspection yesterday I wouldn't have been able to bring them ashore because I would not have been able to prove they didn't come in from Mexico. Perhaps on another trip I can collect some and take one of their geology tours they offer, by a local resident geologist.

I hope the above sounds reasonably intelligent. I'm sunburned, had too many drinks in one week and my brain is saying the last margarita may have been one too many. I'm trying to forget about the blisters on my feet.

Great Trip.....Petra