Interview with Lithosphere Guest Editor Elizabeth Petrie

Can you tell us about yourself and your work?

My background is in structural geology and I am a Geology Professor and the Moncrief
Chair of Petroleum Geology at Western Colorado University. Before working in
academia, I was a geologist in the oil and gas industry. My research focus is on
understanding subsurface fracture and fault zone development in and across various
rock types. I combine quantitative observations from outcrop, laboratory experiments,
and subsurface data sets to understand the formation and distribution of fractures and
the role variations in rock mechanical properties have on rock failure across many
scales of observation.

Tell us about your recent Special Issue for Lithosphere. How did the topic come about?

The inspiration for this Special Issue came from a strong response (24 oral and poster
presentations) received for the 2023 special technical session titled “What’s in a Fault?
Fault structure, deformation mechanisms, and why fault zones matter to society – a
session in honor of James P. Evans” at the Geological Society of America Connects
meeting. This technical session was in honor of the career of Dr. Jim Evans, who had
recently retired from Utah State University. Based on the wide range of topics within
structural geology that were covered during the technical session, it was evident that
there would be interest in a special issue publication. We chose Lithosphere to ensure
that the special issue would open access.

What did you gain from working on the issue?

Working on this issue provided me with the opportunity to expand from my focused
research area; reading and evaluating manuscript submissions submitted to the special
issue gave me a chance to interact with subdisciplines in structural geology that I may
not have sought out otherwise.

Are there any specific characteristics you look for in a research paper? 

Research papers published in the special issue were focused on fault or fault zone
processes. The papers published in this issue highlight the challenges of and need for
studying faults and fault zones and incorporate a range of methodologies into their
work. The papers presented in this issue are built upon a strong background analysis
and incorporation of previous work yet provide a novel approach. New observations or
methods for characterization were of particular interest, especially those that used
diverse methods to test or refine existing structural models used to explain deformation
and complexity of faults and fault zones.

Has being a part of Lithosphere impacted you in any way? 

My involvement in this special issue has reminded me of the importance of the peer
review process. I am grateful not only to the authors who submitted their work but also
to the community of experts who were willing to review the manuscripts and provide
feedback. Peer review is crucial to the scientific process and requires support from the
community. Subject matter experts who make time to provide thoughtful and insightful
reviews are invaluable.