Professor Nick Rawlinson
College Position
Fellow in Earth Sciences
University Position
BP Foundation McKenzie Professor of Earth Sciences
Degrees and Honours

BSc(hons) 1997, PhD (Monash University) 2001.

Research Interests

Since completing my PhD in 2001, I have undertaken a broad range of research in seismology, Earth imaging and tectonophysics. I am particularly interested in developing and applying new methods to large seismic datasets in order to improve our understanding of Earth structure and processes.

My long term vision is to conceive and deploy novel seismic array experiments in regions of profound geological/tectonic interest, and use the data to not only uncover new knowledge about how our planet works, but also drive the development of innovative Earth imaging methodology. I am also keen to make better use of constraints and insights supplied by geodynamic modelling, structural geology, geochemistry, petrology and rock mechanics in order to provide an integrated view of the Earth's interior. Particular areas of interest include:

     Seismic body wave tomography at local and regional scales

     Ambeint noise tomography

     Seismic imaging using passive transportable array data

     Seismic wave propagation

     Geophysical inverse theory

     Seismic structure of the Australian continent

     Intra-plate volcanism

     Continental growth and its signature in the crust and lithospheric mantle

 

Select Publications

Papaleo, E. and Cornwell, D. G. and Rawlinson, N. (2017) Seismic tomography of the North Anatolian Fault: New insights into structural heterogeneity along a continental strike-slip fault. Geophysical Research Letters, 44 (5). ISSN 0094-8276, ESSN: 1944-8007 DOI 10.1002/2017GL072726

Afonso, J.C. and Rawlinson, N. and Yang, Y. and Schutt, D.L. and Jones, A.G. and Fullea, J. and Griffin, W.L. (2016) 3-D multiobservable probabilistic inversion for the compositional and thermal structure of the lithosphere and upper mantle: III. Thermochemical tomography in the Western-Central U.S. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 121 (10). pp. 7337-7370. ISSN 2156-2202 eissn 2169-9313 DOI 10.1002/2016JB013049

Pilia, S. and Arroucau, P. and Rawlinson, N. and Reading, A.M. and Cayley, R.A. (2016) Inherited crustal deformation along the East Gondwana margin revealed by seismic anisotropy tomography. Geophysical Research Letters, 43 (23). 12,082-12,090. ISSN 0094–8276 DOI 10.1002/2016GL071201

Rawlinson, N. and Spakman, W. (2016) On the use of sensitivity tests in seismic tomography. Geophysical Journal International, 205 (2). pp. 1221-1243. ISSN ISSN: 0956-540X, ESSN: 1365-246X DOI 10.1093/gji/ggw084

Davies, D. R. and Rawlinson, N. and Iaffaldano, G. and Campbell, I. H. (2015) Lithospheric controls on magma composition along Earth's longest continental hotspot track. Nature, 525 (7570). pp. 511-514. ISSN 0028-0836 DOI 10.1038/nature14903

Davies, D.R. and Rawlinson, N. (2014) On the origin of recent intraplate volcanism in Australia. Geology, 42 (12). pp. 1031-1034. ISSN 0091-7613, 1943-2682 DOI 10.1130/G36093.1