Memorandum from Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller to President Gerald R. Ford Regarding Indications of a Possible Major Earthquake in California

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MEVICE PRESICENT WAS - NC-C: - February 5, 1976 R. FORD MEMORANDUM FOR: THE PRESIDENT FROM: THE VICE PRESIDENT SUBJECT: Indications of Possible Major Earthquake in California 1. At one of the Science-Advisory Panel meetings two weeks ago, Dr. Frank Press, Chairman of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at M.I.T., reported on indications of a possible major earthquake in California. Through Dr. Teller, I asked him to give me the basic information, which is in the attached letter. 2. As Dr. Press' letter states, this information will soon become public, probably in Science magazine, later this month. 3. I have sent copies of the letter to Dr. Teller, Dr. Hans Mark; and Dr. Guy Stever of the : National Science Foundation, as well as to the chairmen of the two science-and-technology advisory and consulting groups (Simon Ramo and Bill Baker) 4. What is at stake is: -- restoration of 25% funding cut for the : U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Service; -- appropriation of $2 million for a "dense" earthquake-monitoring network at the Southern end of the San Andreas fault, similar to the network already operating effectively at the Northern end of the fault, near San Francisco;