His research has covered a very wide range of topics in seismology, from reflection seismology to studies of the deep Earth and from theoretical to observational studies. He has received recognition through many medals and awards including the Gold Medal in Geophysics from the Royal Astronomical Society, the Gutenberg Medal from the European Geosciences Union, the Murchison Medal from the Geological Society of London, the Jaeger and Flinders Medals from the Australian Academy of Sciences, and the Lehmann Medal from the American Geophysical Union. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society (London). He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019.