Interview with Prof. Dr. Michel Faure—Winner of the Geosciences 2023 Best Paper Award

All papers published in 2022 in Geosciences (ISSN: 2076-3263) were considered for the award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the winner was selected.

“Reconstructing the Variscan Terranes in the Alpine Basement: Facts and Arguments for an Alpidic Orocline”
by Michel Faure and Jacky Ferrière
Geosciences 2022, 12(2), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12020065

The winners will receive CHF 500 and a chance to publish a paper free of charge after peer review in Geosciences in 2024.

The following is an interview with Prof. Dr. Michel Faure:

1. Could you give us a brief introduction of yourself to the readers?

I am an emeritus professor at the University of Orléans (France). I am studying structural analysis, deformation–metamorphism relationships, and the structural control of pluton emplacement in order to decipher the large-scale tectonics and geodynamic evolution of orogenic belts, namely, accretionary, collisional, and intracontinental orogens. Since the 1980s, I have focused on the Mesozoic margin of East Asia in Japan, the Philippines, Sikhote Alin (Russia), North China, South China blocks, and Central Asia in W. Tianshan and Junggar. These studies are carried out in multidisciplinary teams with petrologists, geochronologists, and geophysicists. My present interest is the understanding of the Triassic tectonics of East and SE Asia. In the South China block (Xuefengshan belt), I focus on the relationships between the South China and Indochina blocks, particularly in the NE (Song Chay belt), NW Vietnam, (Song Ma belt), Ailaoshan, and Jinshajiang.

In Europe, I am working on the active mechanisms in the Paleozoic Variscan orogeny, including syn-metamorphic crustal thickening, late- to post-orogenic extension, pluton emplacement, and ore deposits.

I have authored or co-authored about 300 publications and supervised about 30 Ph.D. students. I am also an associate editor of the Journal of Asian Earth Sciences and Comptes Rendus Geoscience of the French Académie des Sciences.

2. Could you please briefly introduce the main content of the winning paper?

This paper deals with a reconstruction of the geodynamic domains of the Paleozoic Variscan belt in the basement of the Alpine chain. By comparison with the French Variscan segments of the Massif Armoricain and Massif Central, correlations are proposed for the External and Internal massifs of the Western Alps, Corsica–Sardinia–Maures segment, Southern Alps, and the Austroalpine areas. In spite of some uncertainties due to the Cenozoic Alpine tectonics, the Variscan domains that are involved in the Western, Central, and Oriental Alps can be correlated with the Variscan segments that are recognized outside of the Alps. Emphasis is placed on the Paleozoic suture zones. The general arrangement of the Variscan massifs that form the Alpine basement defines a curved shape with east-facing convexity that we propose to call the “Alpidic Variscan orocline”.

3. What’s your current research and why did you choose this research field?

I have studied the Variscan belt of Western Europe, mainly from SW England to the Pyrenees, throughout the Armorican Massif and the Massif Central. I have also investigated the Corsica–Sardinia–Maures branch of this orogen. Assuming a general continuity of the Variscan domains, it was tempting to investigate the Alpine basement in which Variscan rocks have been recognized for a long time.

4. Could you describe the difficulties and breakthrough innovations in this research field?

The metamorphic, magmatic, and geochronological features of the Variscan belt that are exposed in the basement of the Alps have been investigated for more than 50 years. However, previous studies did not pay enough attention to the structural aspects. Due to the intense Cenozoic reworking, unfolding the Alpine deformation, including Variscan kinematics, represents a real challenge, as it is tempting to use the Alpine tectonic framework to decipher the Paleozoic one. However, the Alpine architecture does not directly follow the Variscan zonation. The major difficulty in this approach was to critically assess the available data that are provided in the literature.

5. Have you ever encountered any difficulties when you conduct research? How did you overcome them?

Academic scientific research is always risky. Field observations and laboratory measurements are never “objective”. In order to derive new and innovative insights, a scientist must start their research based on a “working hypothesis”. One of the major difficulties is to be able to abandon the “working hypothesis” if too many contradictory facts do not support it. An open-minded attitude is the major quality that is needed for a scientist. Moreover, although it is difficult to define it clearly, “common sense” is essential in natural sciences. Often, a qualitative approach based on experience is more fruitful than a quantitative one based on numbers.

6. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?

Presently, in the earth sciences field, environmental aspects are put forward. Of course, a sustainable Earth, including water resources, ore deposits, fossil energy resources, soil preservation, air quality, etc., should be major issues for the earth sciences research community. However, firstly, an understanding of the general geological framework is necessary before addressing environmental questions. Accurate mapping using field-based surveys and petrological, structural, geochemical, geochronological, and geophysical approaches must not be forgotten. Fundamental studies, among which tectonics and geodynamic aspects of the lithosphere evolution are essential, represent the foundation that supports all the applied investigations.

7. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to submit your paper? What benefits do you think authors can gain when publishing their articles in Geosciences?

Although I am an occasional reader of Geosciences, I did not pay too much attention to the papers published in the journal. This awarded paper was a contribution to an invitation by Prof. Rodolfo Carosi, who was the Guest Editor of a Special Issue. As an electronic open access journal, the papers published in Geosciences can reach a worldwide readership.

8. How was your experience submitting to Geosciences?

It was a very nice experience. The Editor of the Special Issue, Prof. Carosi, and the two reviewers provided constructive comments that helped us improve the initial version of the paper. The editing and publishing processes were really fast and efficient. The publishers were extremely reactive, providing a fast return, even on a Sunday.

9. What qualities do you think young scientists need?

Young scientists are facing strong competition within their community. For them, the pressure to publish their results is rapidly increasing. “Publish or perish” is now becoming a general rule.

Nevertheless, young scientists must not forget that high-quality papers require time and a scientific background. Young scientists must show an open mind to new ideas and concepts, trying to apply up-to-date methods to tackle the scientific questions that they are addressing, but older publications, even if not always available on the internet, deserve to be read. Imagination is an important quality to promote innovative ideas. Furthermore, they must keep in mind that whatever the interest of a model might be, it must be validated by empirical observations and/or experiments.

10. Can you briefly describe the key to a happy laboratory life?

A happy laboratory life requires good human relationships with colleagues that you meet every day. Special meetings, such as M.Sc. or Ph.D. defenses, foreign guest lectures, and even parties, provide opportunities to meet colleagues, to strengthen ties with them, not only on scientific grounds but also on human ones. In this aspect, the heads of the laboratory play a major role by gathering lab members, not only researchers but also teachers and technical staff.  

11. We are an open access journal. How do you think open access impacts the authors?

Of course, open access journals are an easy way to reach the scientific community all around the world. These journals allow the authors to achieve a worldwide diffusion of their results. This may contribute to enhancing scientific discussions and also to building up proposals.

However, in the academic field of research, funding is now relatively reduced. Therefore, the financial contribution requested from the authors must be kept at a reasonable level.

12. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express, or someone to thank most?

I, and my coworker Jacky Ferrière, are particularly honored by this award. We thank the readers of our article for their interest and kind appreciation. We are also sincerely grateful to the editors, the Editorial Board of Geosciences, and the publishers for their choice.