photo
Projects

4

Publications

20

Awards

4

Biography

Dr Waszek is a global seismologist, researching the seismic properties of Earth’s deep interior from the inner core to the upper mantle. She is particularly interested in the relationship between seismic structures and their geodynamical origin. She is currently investigating the properties and characteristics of mantle transition zone and mid-mantle discontinuities, and their relationship to mantle convection and composition.

Research

Projects
Optimising the geophysical ore body model to aid in the discovery of new critical mineral deposits
01 Jan 2025 - 31 Dec 2027
Seismic Interpretation of NE QLD (Old ID 28938)
15 Mar 2023 - 15 Dec 2023
A new Journey to the Earth's Inner Core: a Planet Within a Planet (Old ID 27499)
01 Jan 2022 - 31 Dec 2024
Constraining the relationship between mantle discontinuities and convection processes beneath the Australian Plate (Old ID 27407)
17 May 2017 - 31 Aug 2023

Teaching

Taught Modules
[PH1007] Advanced Stream Physics 2Lecturer, Coordinator
2024
[PH2048] Medical and Radiation PhysicsLecturer
2025
[PH3021] Physics of the Earth, Solar System, and UniverseCoordinator, Lecturer
2025
Current JCU Research Students
Emotionally Aware Voice Bot using Change-point Detection
Master of Philosophy (Information Technology)
Deep Seismic Lines in Northern Queensland: Revealing The Geological and Tectonic Structure For a Better Understanding of Mineral Systems and Critical Mineral Potential
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)

Activities

Other Activities
Vice Chair, Study of Earth's Deep Interior
2023 - 2027
Education
PhD, University of Cambridge
2008 - 2012
BA, MSci, University of Cambridge
2004 - 2008
Employment
Lecturer; Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow, James Cook University
2020 - 2023
Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University
2016 - 2021
Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow, Australian National University
2017 - 2020
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Maryland
2015 - 2016
Honorary Research Fellow, University of Liverpool
2015 - 2015
Junior Research Fellow, University of Cambridge
2012 - 2015
Senior Lecturer, James Cook University
2024
Awards
DP220102815: A new journey to the Earth's inner core: a planet within a planet
2022
EAR-1661985: Acquisition of a high performance computing cluster for the Geophysics group at New Mexico State University
2017
EAR-1853662: Seismic imaging of mid-mantle reflectors associated with geodynamical processes and compositional heterogeneity
2019
DE170100329: Constraining the relationship between mantle discontinuities and convection processes beneath the Australian Plate
2017

Output

Basaltic reservoirs in the Earth’s mantle transition zone
2022
Tauzin, Benoit; Waszek, Lauren; Ballmer, Maxim D.; Afonso, Juan Carlos; Bodin, Thomas (2022) 'Basalt. Proc, 11...
Journal Publication Open Access ResearchOnline@JCU
Seismic detection of a deep mantle discontinuity within Mars by InSight
2022
Huang, Quancheng; Schmerr, Nicholas C.; King, Scott D.; Kim, Doyeon; Rivoldini, Attilio; Plesa, Ana-...
Journal Publication Open Access ResearchOnline@JCU
3D transdimensional seismic tomography of the inner core
2022
Brett, Henry; Hawkins, Rhys; Waszek, Lauren; Lythgoe, Karen; Deuss, Arwen (2022) '3D transdimensiona. Earth and Planet, 593 . [DOI] ...
Journal Publication Open Access ResearchOnline@JCU
A new Probe into the Innermost Inner Core Anisotropy via the Global Coda-correlation Wavefield
2022
Costa de Lima, Thuany; Tkalcic, Hrvoje; Waszek, Lauren (2022) 'A new Probe into the Innermost Inner . Journal of Geophysical Research: So, 127 (4). [DOI] ...
Journal Publication Open Access ResearchOnline@JCU
3-D synthetic modelling and observations of anisotropy effects on SS precursors: implications for mantle deformation in the transition zone
2022
Huang, Quancheng; Schmerr, Nicholas C.; Beghein, Caroline; Waszek, Lauren; Maguire, Ross (2022) '3-D. G,...
Journal Publication Open Access ResearchOnline@JCU
A poorly mixed mantle transition zone and its thermal state inferred from seismic waves
2021
Waszek, Lauren; Tauzin, Benoit; Schmerr, Nicholas; Ballmer, Maxim D.; Afonso, Juan Carlos (2021) 'A . ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Automatic identification of mantle seismic phases using a Convolutional Neural Network
2021
Garcia, J.A.; Waszek, L.; Tauzin, B.; Schmerr, N. (2021) 'Automatic identification of mantle seismic. Geophysical Research Letters, 48 (18). [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Constraints on seismic anisotropy in the mantle transition zone from long‐period SS precursors
2019
Huang, Quancheng; Schmerr, Nicholas; Waszek, Lauren; Beghein, Caroline (2019) 'Constraints on seismi. Journal of Geophysi, 124 (7):6779-6800...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Seismic tomography of the uppermost inner core
2019
Burdick, Scott; Waszek, Lauren; Lekić, Vedran (2019) 'Seismic tomography of the uppermost inner core. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 528 . [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Global observations of reflectors in the mid-mantle with implications for mantle structure and dynamics
2018
Waszek, Lauren; Schmerr, Nicholas C.; Ballmer, Maxim D. (2018) 'Global observations of reflectors in. Nature Communications, 9 . [DOI] ...
Journal Publication Open Access ResearchOnline@JCU
Measuring the seismic velocity in the top 15 km of Earth’s inner core
2018
Godwin, Harriet; Waszek, Lauren; Deuss, Arwen (2018) 'Measuring the seismic velocity in the top 15 k. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 274 :158-169. [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
GrowYourIC: a step toward a coherent model of the earth’s inner core seismic structure
2017
Lasbleis, Marine; Waszek, Lauren; Day, Elizabeth A. (2017) 'GrowYourIC: a step toward a coherent mod. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 18 (11):4016-4026. [DOI] ...
Journal Publication Open Access ResearchOnline@JCU
Observations of exotic inner core waves
2015
Waszek, Lauren; Deuss, Arwen (2015) 'Observations of exotic inner core waves'. Geophysical Journal International, 200 (3):1636-1650. [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Inner core structure behind the PKP core phase triplication
2015
Blom, Nienke A.; Deuss, Arwen; Paulssen, Hanneke; Waszek, Lauren (2015) 'Inner core structure behind. Geophysical Journal Inter, 201 (3):1657-1665. [DO ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Anomalously strong observations of PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratios on a global scale
2015
Waszek, Lauren; Deuss, Arwen (2015) 'Anomalously strong observations of PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratios o. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 120 (7):5175-5190. [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
PKP precursors: implications for global scatterers
2015
Waszek, Lauren; Thomas, Christine; Deuss, Arwen (2015) 'PKP precursors: implications for global scat. Geophysical Research Letters, 42 (10):3829-3838. [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
A low attenuation layer in the Earth's uppermost inner core
2013
Waszek, Lauren; Deuss, Arwen (2013) 'A low attenuation layer in the Earth's uppermost inner core'. Geophysical Journal International, 195 (3):2005-2015. [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Distinct layering in the hemispherical seismic velocity structure of Earth's upper inner core
2011
Waszek, Lauren; Deuss, Arwen (2011) 'Distinct layering in the hemispherical seismic velocity structu. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 116 (B12). [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Reconciling the hemispherical structure of Earth’s inner core with its super-rotation
2011
Waszek, Lauren; Irving, Jessica; Deuss, Arwen (2011) 'Reconciling the hemispherical structure of Ear. Nature Geoscience, 4 :24-267. [DOI] ...
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Seismic insights into Earth's core
2023
Waszek, Lauren; Irving, Jessica; Phan, Thanh-Son; Tkalcic, Hrvoje (2023) 'Seismic insights into Eart Nature Communications, 14 . [DOI] ...
Journal Contribution Open Access ResearchOnline@JCU