CV

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APPOINTMENTS

Associate Professor and W. Maurice Ewing Career Development Chair, Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, 2024-present.
(Assistant Professor 2017-2024).

NSF EAR Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland, College Park, February 2015 to December 2016.

Postdoctoral Scientist, University of Maryland, 10/2014-2/2015.
Supervisor: Wen-lu Zhu

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Geophysics, Texas A&M University, 2010-2014.
Microphysical controls on the strength and transport properties of fault zones
Advisors: Frederick Chester, Judith Chester

M.S. in Geology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2007-2009.
An experimental study of mechanical and hydrologic controls on natural hydraulic fracture formation in sandstone and siltstone
Advisor: Laurel Goodwin

B.A. in Physics with Honors in Geology, Oberlin College, 2002-2006.
Transpression at Durmid Hill, CA: A record of deformation in the magnetic fabric of the Bishop Ash
Advisor: Steve Wojtal

EMPLOYMENT

Intern:  May 2013 – August 2013
ConocoPhillips Subsurface Technology Group, Structure and Geomechanics
Supervisor: Peter Hennings
The mechanical stratigraphy of the Eagle Ford Shale

Research Technician:  January 2010 – June 2010
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Supervisors: Peter Kelemen and Brian Evans
Experimental investigation of permeability evolution during reaction controlled cracking in peridotite

 FUNDING

  • American Chemical Society PRF (68885), Time-Dependent Conductivity of Proppant-Filled Fractures, 2025-2027, $125,000
  • NSF-FRES (2420572), Collaborative Research: Exploring the Role of Rapid Cementation, Cohesion, and Pore Fluid Pressure Evolution in the Dynamics of Slow Slip Events, 2024-2027, co-PI, Rice bundler: $407,866.
  • NSF EAR-IF (2308632), TS: Research Technician to Support Growth of the Rice Rock Deformation Laboratory, 2023-2028, $728,424.
  • NSF Geophysics/Tectonics/Marine G&G (1945264), CAREER: Path Dependent Slip of the Shallow Subduction Megathrust, $601,711
  • NSF EAR-IF (1921517), Upgrade of a Triaxial Rock Deformation Apparatus to Measure the Rheology of Subduction Megathrusts, 2019-2020, $102,379.
  • NSF Geophysics (1759127), Controls of Pore Fluid Pressure on Fault Slip Weakening and Fracture Energy, 2018-2021, $264,839.
  • American Chemical Society PRF-DNI (59440), Frequency-Dependent Attenuation of Elastic Waves in Fault Zones, 2018-2020, $110,000.
  • NSF EAR-PF (1452339), An Experimental Study on the Role of Pore Fluid Pressure During Slow Slip in Subduction Zones, 2015-2017, $174,000.

 AWARDS AND HONORS

  • Charles W. Duncan, Jr. Achievement Award for Outstanding Faculty, Rice University, 2025
  • AGU Mineral and Rock Physics Early Career Award, 2022
  • NSF CAREER Award, 2020
  • Editor’s Citation for Excellence in Refereeing – JGR – Solid Earth, 2018, 2021
  • EarthScope Speaker Series, 2015-2016.
  • NSF EAR Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2015-2017
  • John and Frances Handin Graduate Fellowship, Center for Tectonophysics, Texas A&M University, 2014.
  • Bailey Outstanding Student Paper Award, Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2012.
  • Outstanding Student Paper Award, Mineral and Rock Physics Focus Group, 2008 AGU fall meeting.

PUBLICATIONS

‡Rice Lab Postdoc, †Rice Lab Student, ^Rice lab data/visiting student

In Review and Revision

French, M.E., J.R. Delph, and C. Condit, A rheologic model for the depth distribution of slip along the subduction megathrust, in review

†Williams, S., M.E. French, ^Rubin, C., and †E. Mckenzie, Using calcite deformation twins to constrain subduction-related paleostress state and deformation temperatures: A case study using the exhumed Sestola-Vidiciatico unit of the Northern Apennines, in press at Geosphere

Published

†Belzer, B. , M.E. French, and N.J. Phillips (2025), K‐Metasomatic Weakening of Oceanic Crust at Shallow Subduction Depths: Evidence From the Rodeo Cove Thrust Zone, Marin Headlands, California, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, doi: 10.1029/2025GC012221
Data: https://zenodo.org/records/14967402

†Williams, S. and M.E. French (2024), Effects of dilatant hardening on fault stabilization and structural development, Geophys. Res. Lett., 51, doi: 10.1029/2024GL108840
Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10656036

†Belzer, B. and M.E. French (2024), Path and slip dependent behavior of shallow subduction shear zones during fluid overpressure, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 129, doi: 10.1029/2023JB027502

†Fliedner, C. and M.E. French (2023), Dispersive elastic moduli and attenuation due to wave-induced fluid flow in metapelite, Seismica, 3(1), doi: 10.26443/seismica.v3i1.624

†Fliedner, C. and M.E. French (2023), Measurements of wave-induced attenuation in saturated metapelite and the band-limitation of low-frequency earthquakes, AGU Advances, doi: 10.1029/2022AV000837

Featured as an AGU Advances Editor’s Highlight

†Belzer, B. and M.E. French (2022), Frictional Constitutive Behavior of Chlorite at Low Shearing Rates and Hydrothermal Conditions, Tectonophysics, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2022.229435.

‡Condit, C. and M. E. French (2022), Geologic Evidence of lithostatic pore fluid pressures at the base of the subduction seismogenic zone, Geophys. Res. Lett., doi:10.1029/2022GL098862.

Morgan, J. K., E. A. Solomon, A. Fagereng, H. M. Savage, M. Wang, F. Meneghini, P. M. Barnes, R. Bell, M. E. French, N. Bangs, H. Kitajima, D. M. Saffer, L. M. Wallace (2022), Seafloor overthrusting causes ductile fault deformation and fault sealing along the northern Hikurangi Margin, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 593 , doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117651.

French, M. E., W. Zhu, X. Xiaohui, B. Evans, D. J. Prior (2022), Enhanced water weakening of the Solnhofen limestone at elevated temperature, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 127, doi:10.1029/2021JB02274.

‡Condit, C., M. E. French, J. A. Hayles, L.Y. Yeung, E. J. Chin, and C. A. Lee (2022), Rheology of metasedimentary rocks at the base of the subduction seismogenic zone, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, doi: 10.1029/2021GC010194.

†Fliedner, C. and M.E. French (2021), Pore and mineral fabrics control the elastic wave velocities of metapelite with implications for subduction zone tomography, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 126, doi: 10.1029/2021JB022361.

French, M. E. and J. K. Morgan (2020), Pore fluid pressures and strength contrasts maintain frontal fault activity, northern Hikurangi margin, New Zealand, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47 (21), doi: 10.1029/2020GL089209.

‡Condit, C., V. E. Guevara, J. R. Delph, and M. E. French (2020), Slab dehydration in warm subduction zones at depths of episodic slip and tremor, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 552, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116601.

^Phillips, N., †B. Belzer, M. E. French, C. Rowe, and K. Ujiie (2020), Frictional Strengths of Subduction Thrust Rocks in the Region of Shallow Slow Earthquakes, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 125, doi: 10.1029/2019JB018888.

French, M. E. and ‡C. Condit (2019), Slip partitioning along an idealized subduction plate boundary at deep slow slip conditions, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 528, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2019.115828.

Xing, T., W. Zhu, M. E. French, and †B. Belzer (2019), Stabilizing Effect of High Pore Fluid Pressure on Slip Behaviors of Gouge-Bearing Faults, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 124, doi: 10.1029/2019JB018002.

French, M.E., G. Hirth, and K. Okazaki (2019), Fracture-induced pore fluid pressure weakening and dehydration in serpentinite, Tectonophysics, doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2019.228168.

French, M.E. and J. S. Chester (2018), Localized slip and associated fluidized structures record seismic slip in clay-rich fault gouge, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2018JB016053.

French, M. E. and W. Zhu (2017), Slow fault propagation in serpentinite under conditions of high pore fluid pressure, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 473, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.06.009.

French, M. E., W. Zhu, and J. Banker (2016), Fault slip controlled by stress path and fluid pressurization rate, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 4330–4339, doi:10.1002/2016GL068893.

French, M. E., F. M. Chester, J. S. Chester, and J. E. Wilson (2016), Stress-dependent transport properties of fractured arkosic sandstone, Geofluids, doi: 10.1111/gfl.12174.

French, M. E., F. M. Chester and J. S. Chester  (2015), Micromechanisms of creep in clay-rich gouge from the Central Deforming Zone of the San Andreas Fault,  J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 120:827–849. doi: 10.1002/2014JB011496.

Coble, C. G, M. E. French, F. M. Chester, J. S. Chester, H. Kitajima (2014), In situ frictional properties of San Andreas Fault gouge at SAFOD, Geophys. J. Int., 199 (2), doi:10.1093/gji/ggu306.

French, M. E., H. Kitajima, J. S. Chester, F. M. Chester, and T. Hirose (2014), Displacement and dynamic weakening processes in smectite-rich gouge from the Central Deforming Zone of the San Andreas Fault, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 119, doi:10.1002/2013JB010757.

French, M. E., D. F. Boutt, and L. B. Goodwin (2012), Sample dilation and fracture in response to high pore fluid pressure and strain rate in quartz-rich sandstone and siltstone, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 117, doi:10.1029/2011JB008707.

REPORTS

Huntington, K.W., and Klepeis, K.A., with 66 community contributors (2018), Challenges and opportunities for research in tectonics: Understanding deformation and the processes that link Earth systems, from geologic time to human time. A community vision document submitted to the U.S. National Science Foundation. University of Washington, 84 pp., https://doi.org/10.6069/H52R3PQ5.

McGuire, J., and Plank, T. , with 16 writing committee members (2017), The SZ4D Initiative, Understanding the Processes that Underlie Subduction Zone Hazards in 4D, A vision document submitted to the National Science Foundation, 63 pp., https://www.iris.edu/hq/files/workshops/2016/09/szo_16/sz4d.pdf.

SERVICE

  • Steering committee member (2017 – present) and Co-leader of Faulting and Earthquake Cycles Working Group (2021-present), SZ4D Initiative
  • Steering committee member, Physical Properties of Earth Materials (2018 – present)
  • Associate editor, Geophysical Research Letters (2017-2021)
  • Planning committee member, NSF funded workshop on experimental needs in subduction zone research (2018)
  • Writing committee member, Subduction Zone Observatory workshop report to NSF (2016-2017)
  • Contributor, Future of Tectonics whitepaper to NSF (2017)
  • Funding agency panelist (4 total): NSF, USGS
  • Reviewer: EPSL, GRL, JGR, JSG, Terra Nova, NSF, ACS-PRF

SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS

  • University of Oregon, Feb 29, 2024
  • Boston College, Oct 17., 2023
  • University of Houston, Department of Civil Engineering 1, Sept., 2023
  • Northwestern University, 12 May, 2023
  • University of Southern California, 31 Oct., 2022
  • Gordon Research Conference on Rock Deformation, 11 Aug., 2022
  • University of Washington, Feb. 24, 2022
  • University of Minnesota, Jan. 27, 2022
  • University of Oklahoma, 14, October, 2021
  • Purdue University, Geology and Geophysics Colloquium, 29, Oct., 2021
  • Indiana University-Bloomington, 1, Nov., 2021
  • USGS Earthquake Science Center, 19, May 2021
  • University of Louisiana, Lafayette, 12 March, 2021
  • WHOI, 14, October, 2020
  • Houston Geological Society, 8, April, 2019
  • University of Houston: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Seminar, 6, April, 2018.
  • Cooperative Institute for Dynamic Earth Research (CIDER), Berkeley, 18, July, 2017
  • Gordon Conference on Rock Deformation, 25, August, 2016
  • University of Pennsylvania: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Seminar, 15 Apr., 2016
  • Brown University: Geophysics Lunch Bunch Seminar, 22 Mar., 2016
  • University of Minnesota: Department of Earth Sciences Seminar, 10 Mar., 2016
  • West Virginia University: Department of Geology and Geography Seminar, 8 Mar., 2016
  • Rice University: Department of Earth Science Seminar, 11 Feb., 2016
  • University of Colorado: Department of Geological Sciences Seminar, 3 Feb., 2016
  • University of Michigan: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Seminar, 20 Nov., 2015
  • Oberlin College: Department of Geology Seminar, 6 Oct., 2015
  • Marshall University: Department of Geology Seminar, 12 Nov., 2015
  • Marshall University: General Audience Seminar, 12 Nov., 2015
  • University of Maryland: Department of Geology Seminar, 11 Sept., 2015
  • Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris: Geophysics Seminar, 3 June 2014
  • University of Wisconsin: Department of Geoscience Seminar, 26 Nov. 2013
  • University of Wisconsin: Department of Civil Engineering Seminar, 25 Nov. 2013