Geophysics

Research includes:

  • Seismology and Mathematical Geophysics
  • Geodynamics and Tectonics
  • Rock/mineral physics

Seismology and Mathematical Geophysics covers a range of activities designed to exploit the favourable location of Australia relative to the world's earthquake belts. This is reflected in extensive studies using deployments of portable instrumentation to probe the structure of the Australian continent and the mantle beneath, and study seismic hazards across Australasia. Seismological research extends to the entire Australian plate, including the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. Furthermore, research in global observational and theoretical seismology involves developing new methods for imaging various parts of the Earth's interior, such as the lowermost mantle and core. Exciting topics include exploring large volumes of passive seismic data recorded by arrays to improve our knowledge about the Earth's interior and the interactions of the solid earth with the oceans, cryosphere and atmosphere. We also conduct research in planetary seismology using existing data and the data that will be available from future missions. Another strength of the area is data inference, both in theoretical advances and applications to studies of Earth structure and earthquakes.

Research in geodynamics focuses upon developing state-of-the-art tools that simulate mantle and lithosphere dynamics and their integration with a diverse range of observational datasets. This allows us to significantly enhance our understanding of mantle and lithosphere dynamics and their signature at the surface across a range of spatial and temporal scales.

Research in rock physics employs novel equipment in laboratory studies and studies of mechanical behaviour ranging widely from time-resolved slip on synthetic faults to seismic-frequency studies of wave speeds and attenuation.

We operate the Warramunga Seismic and Infrasound Research Station (WRA) near Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. The seismic and infrasound arrays are primary stations in the International Monitoring System for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The arrays were upgraded to meet Treaty standards in 2000. Data are sent by satellite link to the International Data Centre in Vienna, and the National Data Centre at Geoscience Australia in Canberra. The broad-band station CAN at Mt Stromlo is operated in association with the French GEOSCOPE network and a broad-band borehole instrument (WRAB) is supported at the Warramunga Array for the IRIS-IDA network as a contribution to global seismology.

We operate the FDSN recognised data centre, AusPass, which is a service dedicated to the acquisition, management, and distribution of passive seismological data in Australia. AusPass is an initiative supported with funding from AuScope and the Australian National University to provide access to broadband passive seismic data collected in Australia since 1997. To facilitate knowledge discovery and innovation, AusPass adopts and supports FAIR data principles.

The area hosts the seismological component of the National Research Facility for Earth Sounding (ANSIR), which operates portable instrumentation for approved projects. The area also has a programme of ultra-low power seismic recorder development.

It also has access to extensive computational facilities through the in-house Terrawulf cluster and the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI).

INSTRUMENTS

SEISMIC SOFTWARE

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Leader

Head of Geophysics
Director of Warramunga Seismic & Infrasound Facility

Academic staff

Faculty

Emeritus academic

Past researcher

Professional staff

Visitor and affiliate

Student

Project Status
Active tectonics, landscape evolution and groundwater flow Current
Antarctic Seismology Potential
Architecture of the Australian continental lithosphere Potential
Array/Blue Earth/Forensic Seismology: A Quake, a Nuke or a Willy Willy? Potential
Australian Passive Seismic Server Current
Computational Geodynamics Potential
Constraining Australian continental deformation through seismic anisotropy Potential, Current
Dynamic evolution of subduction zones and continental collision Potential
Earth's Intra-plate Volcanic Engine Current
Enhanced 3-D seismic structure of Southwest Australia (SWAN) Current
Exploring seismic structure and local seismicity at the Lake George basin, NSW with a dense seismic array Current
Finite Fault inversion using the W-Phase Completed
Fluidity: the next frontier Current
From Plume Source To Hotspot: Quantifying Mixing In Mantle Plumes And Its Implications For The Nature Of Deep-Mantle Heterogeneity Completed
High-resolution probing of the Earth’s lowermost mantle Current
Imaging lithosphere structures of the Earth’s hidden continent, Zealandia Potential
Improving tsunami warning systems: fast and reliable estimation of source parameters of large earthquakes using long period W-phase data Potential
Inner core structure using free oscillations of the Earth and neighbourhood algorithm Current
Insights Into Earthquake Source Physics: Moment Tensor Inversion Current
Is the physics that we use to model deep ocean gravity wave sufficient? Completed
Lighting up dark fibre for seismic imaging Current
Mathematical Geophysics Potential
Modelling large-scale groundwater systems in Australian basins Potential
Multi-array, multi-frequency probing of the Earth's heterogeneity Completed
Novel approaches to geophysical inversion Potential
Predictive geochemical and geodynamic models of plume-lithosphere interaction Potential
Pulsing Mantle Plumes: Causes And Geological Consequences Current
Quantifying The Key Controls On Regional Subduction Dynamics Potential
Quantifying The Key Controls On Regional Subduction Dynamics Completed
Realistic tsunami modeling with seafloor loading and density stratification Completed
Seismic monitoring of groundwater variations beneath the Great Artesian Basin Potential
Seismographic Studies on Basin Effects in the Amplification of Seismic Waves in Indonesia Completed
Seismological Applications of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) Current
Seismology of the Earth's deep interior Potential
Source Mechanism Determination for Improved Seismic Hazard Assessment in Indonesia Completed
Studying the crust and the upper mantle structure beneath Australia using multiple geophysical datasets Completed
Subduction dynamics: slabs in the mantle Potential
The Australian Seismometers in Schools Network (AuSIS) Current
The Earth's Inner Core Current
Time-Reverse imaging of the tsunami source Completed
Transdimensional Bayesian finite fault inversion Completed
Transitions in the Banda Arc - Australia continental collision Current
Underworld Geodynamics Current
Using Dense Seismic Arrays to Image and Constrain the Structure of the Deep Earth Current