Mary Lou Zoback

Zoback attended Stanford University, receiving her B.S. in 1974, M.S. in 1975, and Ph.D. in 1978. She did a Post-Doctoral program with the National Research Council from 1978-1979 with the U.S. Geological Survey's Heat Flow Studies group. She was a research scientist in the earthquake studies office at the USGS from 1979 until 2003. From 2003-2011 Zoback was the vice president, earthquake risk applications with Risk Management Solutions in Newark, California.

Zobacks' major area of interest is active tectonics, with emphasis on the relationship of the in-situ tectonic stress field to earthquake deformation. Her studies have focused on the San Andreas fault system. From 1986 to 1992, Zoback led the world stress map project of the International Lithosphere Program. The project involved more than 40 scientists from over 30 different countries with the objective of compiling and interpreting geologic and geophysical data on the present day tectonic stress field.

Zoback is a past member of U. S. Geodynamics Committee (National Research Council) and the NSF review panel for the continental dynamics program. She is a past member of the council and executive board of the Geological Society of America. She is married to Stanford University Professor Mark David Zoback. They have 2 children.

• 2007 - Geological Society of America public service award
• 2007 - Geological Society of America Arthur L. Day medal
• 2006 - "Leadership, Innovation, and Outstanding Accomplishments in Earthquake Risk Reduction" Award from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
• 1995 - Elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences
• 1990 - USGS Gilbert Fellowship Award for a one-year sabbatical in Karlsruhe, Germany (1990–1991)
• 1987 - American Geophysical Union Macelwane award
• 1987 - American Geophysical Union fellow
• 1984 - Geological Society of America fellow

• State of stress in the conterminous United States. Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 85, no. B11, p. 6113-6156. (1980)
• New evidence on the state of stress on the San Andreas fault system. Science, v. 238, p. 1105-1111. (1987)
• Global patterns of tectonic stress. Nature, v. 341, p. 291-298. (1989)
• First and second order patterns of stress in the lithosphere: the World Stress Map project. Journal Geophysical Research, v. 97, p. 11703-11728. (1992).
• Abrupt along-strike change in tectonic style: San Andreas fault zone, San Francisco Peninsula. Journal of Geophysical Research: v. 104, p. 10719-10,742. (1999)
• Analysis of the tsunamis generated by the Mw7.8 1906 San Francisco earthquake." Geology, v. 27, p. 15-18. (2000)
• Grand challenges in earth and environmental sciences: science, stewardship, and service for the 21st century. GSA Today, v., p. 41- 46. (2001)