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.

Teaching

• PH1005: Advanced Stream Physics 1 (Level 1; CNS & TSV)
• PH1007: Advanced Stream Physics 2 (Level 1; TSV)
• PH2019: Introduction to Electromagnetism Optics and Early Quantum (Level 2; CNS & TSV)

Interests

Research

• Observations and thermochemical modelling of crustal and upper mantle discontinuities beneath the Australian tectonic plate
• Discontinuities in the mantle transition zone and mid-mantle: linking seismic observables to mineral physics properties and geodynamical processes
• Structure and dynamical evolution of Earth's inner core
• Machine learning applications to automatic signal processing and waveform identification methods

Experience

• 2020 to present - Lecturer and Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow, James Cook University (Townsville, QLD)
• 2016 to 2021 - Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM)
• 2017 to 2020 - Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow, Australian National University (Canberra, ACT)
• 2015 to 2016 - Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
• 2015 - Honorary Research Fellow, University of Liverpool (Liverpool, UK)
• 2012 to 2015 - Junior Research Fellow, University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK)
• 2008 to 2012 - PhD, University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK)
• 2004 to 2008 - BA, MSci, University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK)

Research Disciplines

• Geophysics (3706)
• Machine learning (4611)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding knowledge (2801)

Fellowships

• 2017 to 2022 - Discovery Early Career Research Award fellowship DE170100329: Constraining the relationship between mantle discontinuities and convection processes beneath the Australian tectonic plate
• 2012 to 2015 - Junior Research Fellowship, University of Cambridge, Homerton College

Other

• 2022 to 2025 - Australian Research Council Discovery Project DP220102815: A new journey to the Earth's inner core: a planet within a planet (co-PI)
• 2019 to 2022 - National Science Foundation grant EAR-1853662: Seismic imaging of mid-mantle reflectors associated with geodynamical processes and compositional heterogeneity (PI)
• 2017 to 2018 - National Science Foundation grant EAR-1661985: Acquisition of a high performance computing cluster for the Geophysics group at New Mexico State University (PI)
• 2013 - Waszek et al., 2011: Nature Geoscience five-year anniversary top 10 favourite papers

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Garcia J, Waszek L, Tauzin B and Schmerr N (2021) Automatic identification of mantle seismic phases using a Convolutional Neural Network. Geophysical Research Letters, 48 (18).
• Waszek L, Tauzin B, Schmerr N, Ballmer M and Afonso J (2021) A poorly mixed mantle transition zone and its thermal state inferred from seismic waves. Nature Geoscience, 14. pp. 949-955
• Huang Q, Schmerr N, Waszek L and Beghein C (2019) Constraints on seismic anisotropy in the mantle transition zone from long‐period SS precursors. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 124 (7). pp. 6779-6800
• Godwin H, Waszek L and Deuss A (2018) Measuring the seismic velocity in the top 15 km of Earth’s inner core. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 274. pp. 158-169
• Waszek L, Schmerr N and Ballmer M (2018) Global observations of reflectors in the mid-mantle with implications for mantle structure and dynamics. Nature Communications, 9.
• Lasbleis M, Waszek L and Day E (2017) GrowYourIC: a step toward a coherent model of the earth’s inner core seismic structure. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 18 (11). pp. 4016-4026
• Blom N, Deuss A, Paulssen H and Waszek L (2015) Inner core structure behind the PKP core phase triplication. Geophysical Journal International, 201 (3). pp. 1657-1665
• Waszek L and Deuss A (2015) Anomalously strong observations of PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratios on a global scale. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 120 (7). pp. 5175-5190
• Waszek L, Thomas C and Deuss A (2015) PKP precursors: implications for global scatterers. Geophysical Research Letters, 42 (10). pp. 3829-3838
• Waszek L and Deuss A (2015) Observations of exotic inner core waves. Geophysical Journal International, 200 (3). pp. 1636-1650

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

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