Thinking Globally but Guiding the Local Message for the 1906 Centennial Photo courtesy California Historical Society By Stephanie Hanna earthquake will occur in this region and Macelwane Award for signifi cant contri- what additional risk and damage might butions to the geophysical sciences by a s the pace of events builds occur from a similar magnitude earth- young scientist of outstanding ability. toward a crescendo on quake that begins either south or north When asked what draws her from April 18, 2006, for the of this area and “steps over” to devastate research to her dedication to public Centennial of the Great San areas further along the San Andreas outreach on earthquake hazards and Francisco Earthquake, Mary Fault. preparedness, Zoback said, “I think it’s ALou Zoback’s work week extends into the Early in her career with USGS, Zoback my personality. When I see problems, I weekend and often well into the evening. headed the International Lithosphere want them to be fi xed. The study of geol- She is currently regional coordinator for Program’s World Stress Map Project. A ogy and geophysics shows us that earth- the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program team of 40 scientists from 30 countries quakes are not random events and that in Northern California and chairs the focused on compiling, standardizing they will happen again where they have steering committee of federal, state, local data collection and interpreting geologic happened before, so we must help society and private partners making up the 1906 and geophysical data on the modern-day be prepared.” Centennial Alliance. In this role, Zoback stress fi eld. Working by telex and fax be- Zoback was instrumental in the rede- routinely fi elds calls and conducts inter- tween 1986 and 1992, before the advent sign and recent publication of “Putting views with the news media, speaks at up of the Internet, the team made impor- Down Roots in Earthquake Country to four public events per week, attends “It’s important to view the 1906 Centennial tant discoveries about stresses acting in — Your Handbook for the San Francisco multiple meetings and recruits new part- as an incredible, teachable moment,” says USGS senior research scientist the interior of the Earth’s tectonic plates Bay Region,” an earthquake prepared- ners to assist in the funding and distribu- Mary Lou Zoback. and producing earthquakes. In recogni- ness guide. This publication by USGS tion of new and important products for tion of the signifi cance of this and other and 11 other partners was published in fi rst responders, decision makers and an Hazards Team in Menlo Park, Calif. Her work, Zoback was elected to the National September 2005 and has already reached interested public. primary research interest is the relation- Academy of Sciences in 1995. She is cur- nearly a million people and is expected to “It’s important to view the 1906 ship between earthquakes and stress in rently the only USGS member of the be translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, Centennial as an incredible, teachable the Earth’s crust. Areas of recent study NAS and also serves as a member of the Cambodian and Chinese during 2006. moment,” Zoback explained. “Living in include the San Andreas Fault system, NAS Council. [See page 34.] California, we see huge vulnerabilities the Basin and Range area of the western Zoback joined USGS in 1978 after Zoback is married to a fellow geo- from earthquakes, both to individuals and United States and intraplate regions such receiving her Ph.D. in geophysics from physicist, Mark Zoback, a professor at to society. The high probability of large, as the central and eastern United States. Stanford University. From 1999 to 2002, Stanford University and principal inves- devastating urban earthquakes exposes so- After the Centennial commemoration she was chief scientist of the Northern tigator on the National Science Founda- ciety to enormous vulnerabilities. So the in April, Zoback plans to return full time California Earthquake Hazards Program. tion San Andreas Fault Observatory at 1906 Centennial becomes an invaluable to her research. Her current research in- Zoback has served on numerous national Depth (SAFOD) project. The Zobacks opportunity to remind people, ‘It will hap- terest is in understanding the deformation committees and panels on topics ranging have a grown son and daughter and are pen here,’ and to encourage citizens to caused by active fault systems such as that from continental dynamics and storage residents of Stanford. Combining their push their communities and governments associated with the epicenter of the 1906 of high-level radioactive waste to science love of adventure and common interest to help them prepare. The Hurricane earthquake. The geologic evidence and education. She is active in several profes- in geology, they recently climbed Mount Katrina disaster, unfortunately, empha- persistent small earthquakes indicate that sional societies and served as the presi- Kilimanjaro in Africa, went trekking in sizes that we have to be proactive.” in this region, the Earth’s crust is pull- dent of the Geological Society of America Bhutan and are planning to climb to Zoback is a senior research scientist ing apart. She would like to determine from 2000 to 2001. In 1987, she received Macchu Pichu in Peru after the 1906 with the USGS Western Earthquake the likelihood that the next big Bay Area the American Geophysical Union’s Centennial activities subside. April 2006 ★ PEOPLE, LAND & WATER 15.