Laura uses geodetic methods to study the deformation of the earth's crust at tectonic plate boundaries. She conducts research in various locations, including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Japan. She has a particular focus on understanding the spectrum of deformation processes that occur throughout the earthquake cycle at subduction zone plate boundaries. She uses both land-based GNSS methods and seafloor geodetic methods (seafloor pressure, GNSS-Acoustic, IODP downhole observatories) to investigate a range of crustal deformation processes.

She also has a strong interest in using multi-disciplinary observations to gain new insights into the physical processes responsible for active deformation observed geodetically, and has led several large, multidisciplinary experiments. In 2018, Laura was co-leader of IODP Expedition 375 on board the scientific drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution. The expedition investigated the causes of slow-slip events from Hikurangi and collected core samples and geophysical logs from rocks involved in producing slow-slip events at New Zealand’s Hikurangi subduction zone, and installed observatories beneath the seafloor to monitor changes in the crust during the slow-slip cycle. She also led the 2014 HOBITSS (Hikurangi Ocean Bottom Investigation of Tremor and Slow Slip) which was the first experiment to successfully use seafloor pressure sensors to resolve slow slip events on an offshore subduction zone.

Since 2023, Laura has a Helmholtz Distinguished Professorship (HDP) for Geodynamics, which is part of the Marine Geodynamics research unit. She maintains a joint affiliation with the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics.

Topics

Tectonics, crustal deformation, earthquake cycle, subduction zones, and seismic and tsunami hazard

Research

since 2023:
Helmholtz Distinguished Professorship (HDP) for Geodynamics at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel/Kiel University Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel

2016-2023:
Principal Scientist at GNS Science, New Zealand.

since 2012:
Research Scientist (currently Research Professor) at the University of Texas, Institute of Geophysics, Austin, USA

2002-2012:
Research Scientist (Senior Scientist from 2007-2012), GNS Science, Lower Hutt, NZ

Education

2002:
PhD., Geosciences, University of California, Santa Cruz (Supervisor: Eli Silver)
Dissertation: Tectonics and 'arc-continent' collision in Papua New Guinea: New insights from geodetic, geophysical and seismological data

1995:
B.S. (with honors), Geology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

2018-present:
Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand

2020, 2012 & 2007:
Editor’s citation for excellence in refereeing, Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth

2018:
McKay Hammer Award from the Geoscience Society of New Zealand

2018, 2019, 2016 & 2005:
New Zealand Geophysics Prize (awarded by the Geoscience Society of NZ for best paper on NZ geophysics for the current and/or preceding year)

2015/2016:
Distinguished lecturer for the NSF GeoPRISMS Distinguished Lecturer series

2014 & 2015:
Kavli Foundation Frontiers of Science Fellow

2012:
Editor’s citation for excellence in refereeing, Geophysical Research Letters

• Erik Frederickson (PostDoc, University of Texas, Institute for Geophysics, 2023-present)
• Srisharan Shreedharan (PostDoc, University of Texas, Institute for Geophysics, 2020-2022)
• Lada Dimitrova (PostDoc, University of Texas, Institute for Geophysics, 2012-2016)
• McKenzie Carlson (PhD Student, University of Texas, 2023- present)
• James Biemiller (PhD Student, University of Texas, 2015- present)
• Katherine Woods (PhD Student, Victoria University of Wellington, 2018-2022)
• Nicholas Benz (Bachelor thesis, Univ. Texas, 2013)
• Member of the examination committee for doctoral students at the University of Texas, Alissa Kotowski und Kimberley McCormick.