Mary Lou Zoback


Mary Lou Zoback is an American geophysicist who led the world stress map project of the International Lithosphere Program. Zoback is currently a member of the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.

Life and career

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 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 served as GSA president in 2000.
Zoback is married to Stanford University Professor Mark David Zoback. They have 2 children.

Awards and honors