European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Science amp the world quake experts wary of tides of december Donald Smith All sides agree on one thing watch your step on dec. 2. Because of an unusual lineup of heavenly bodies around that Dale some forecasters arc raising the Specter of floods a and possibly the worst earthquake in . History. Scientists strongly disagree Over the potential for disaster. But there is no controversy about what will be happening in the sky. Five tide producing forces a three involving the Moon and two involving the Sun a will be peaking at about the same time. A i think the Public has a right to know about any danger of this kind that can catch them unaware a said l Ergus j. Wood an astronomer and meteorologist who has spent much of his career studying the relationship of unusual astronomical lineups and coastal floods. Ibon Browning a new Mexico climatologist and Volcan Logist recently set off a Media storm in Southeastern Missouri and surrounding slates by stating that a killer earthquake could be triggered at the new Madrid fault. The Well known geological rift is thought to be overdue for a shaking. Quot there is going to be High tidal Force on dec. 2, Browning said. A if the earthquake gun is loaded it will go off a Brownings remarks have been widely challenged by other scientists. But they have had an electrifying effect on residents of several states. Missouri and Arkansas officials say that Public concerns influenced their decisions to hold Long planned earthquake training exercises during that period. An official in Illinois whose Southern Region could be affected says that such exercises Are under consideration there. Kentucky Mississippi Tennessee and Indiana will All hold previously planned exercises in the next two months. Many scientists concerned with tides and earthquakes contend that Brownings remarks have caused needless anxiety. They disagree Over the tide producing Power of the coming astronomical lineup. A when All these characteristics Are in phase you la have tides that arc a Little larger than Normal a said Jack Fancher of the National oceanic and atmospheric administration. A but they re not major tide changes. I done to Sec that there is anything to alarm people  Wood emphasized that he is not flatly predicting catastrophic floods on dec. 2. In fair weather lie conceded even these higher than Normal tides arc generally harmless. Trouble All agree is possible when High tides Are accompanied by hurricanes or other storms with High winds. A three to five Days in Advance you should Start looking at weather forecasts a says California oceanographer Reinhard e. Flick. A if there Are storms on the horizon then you can Start worrying about sandbagging and ply Wooding and evacuating perhaps. There a no question that there could be  the scientific jury is still out on whether earthquakes arc set off by periods of unusually High tides. A there is every reason to believe that tides May be a trigger for earthquakes a says Thomas h. Heaton of the . Geological Survey. A theoretically its entirely  but studies by various researchers including Heaton to prove a correlation have had mixed results. No one in the mainstream academic Community has been Able to reliably predict earthquakes based on tide tables. Earthquake experts have Long warned that the new Madrid fault is a geological time bomb. It erupted during the Winter of 1811-12, near magnitude 8 on the Richter scale. The tremors devastated new Madrid mo., and were Felt As far away As the East coast. Destruction from such an earthquake would be vastly More terrible today experts warn because of the proximity of Memphis tenn., St. Louis and Many Small and medium size towns. Seismologists and engineers have put potential losses from a magnitude 8 or larger earthquake along the new Madrid fault at tens of billions of dollars a and thousands of deaths. At a glance Spain size 194,896 Square Miles size of Arizona and Utah combined population 39,784,000 1989 estimate Muon language Spanish currency peseta 1 a 98.17 travel restrictions none overview Spain third largest county in Europe occupies five sixths of the iberian Peninsula and includes the Balearic islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary islands in the Atlantic. Most of the country is covered by a High dry Plain known As the Mesita. The pyrenees mountains form Spain a Border with France while elsewhere there Are coastal Plains that drop off to beaches in the South and East and a Rocky coast in the North Spain reached its height of Power in the 1500s As its explorers and armies roamed throughout the world a and then began a decline almost immediately. The capital Madrid sits just about in the country s Middle. Its a fact even in cities most Spanish factories stores and offices still close for three hour lunch Breaks and then stay open until 7 . A Yohy should eggs stored with the Small end Down f questions a eggs stored with the Small end Down stay fresh longer says Robert Baker a retired professor of food science from Cornell University in new York. The nearer the Yolk is to the Center he said the fresher it stays because the surrounding albumin or egg White has antibacterial properties to protect the embryo or Yolk in an unfertilized egg. Be Birds eggs have a pair of cords called Calaza cords that attach the Yolk to the Shell lining membrane at each end. The Yolk is High in fat so it tends to Rise in the egg White a the Small Cord is at the big end and the big Cord is at the Small end a Baker said. A if the Small end is Down it allows the bigger Cord to hold the Yolk better. It would Rise too easily the other Way a the big end of the egg also has an air cell that could deteriorate when the weight of the contents rests on it he added. A what makes the unpleasant smell in Skunk Musk linger on the victim of a spraying a scientists know that the unpleasant smell is caused by Thiol molecules containing Fulfur which is also responsible for the smell of Rotten eggs. Now or. William Wood professor of chemistry at California state University at Humboldt has found that the Musk contains Thi acetate molecules As Well. Thi acetate molecules have a somewhat unpleasant smell but when they Are exposed to water they slowly turn into one of the three Thiol found in the Musk. Thi acetates Are oily and evaporate very slowly so when Musk is sprayed on fur skin or clothes the Thi acetates remain for Many Days slowly reacting with water from the air or body of the victim and causing Long term odor. Wood speculated that the Long lasting bad smell May serve to warn sprayed animals to keep away from skunks. Now York times Page 10c sunday september 30.1990