About
I am a Research Fellow in Earth sciences at the University of Tartu in Estonia. I am fascinated by changes in nutrient cycling and rock weathering that took place on the ancient Earth, drastically affecting its oceans, atmosphere, and biosphere. To study these shifts, I utilize a variety of trace metal-based paleoenvironmental proxies preserved in ancient sedimentary rocks, especially those formed in the Palaeoproterozoic and Palaeozoic eras.
Interests
- Trace metal and nutrient geochemistry
- Redox conditions through Earth history
- Weathering environments
- Amber geochemistry
Education
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PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 2021
University of Alberta
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MSc in Geology, 2016
University of Tartu
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BSc in Geology, 2013
University of Tartu
Research interests
The weathering of trace metals and nutrients on land, their transport into the marine realm, and partitioning in sediments.
Redox evolution of the ocean and atmosphere in the Archean, Proterozoic, and Paleozoic, as well as its effects on the biosphere and global elemental cycles.
The generation of phosphate-rich minerals and sediments. The preservation of microbes in apatite and their role in its nucleation and growth.
Weathering environments as sources of nutrients to the biosphere and archives of Earth’s atmospheric composition.
The provenance of amber deposits as revealed through their stable isotope composition and spectral characteristics.
Publications
(2021).
The Kaolinite Shuttle Links the Great Oxidation and Lomagundi Events.
Nature Communications.
(2021).
Iron Isotopes Reveal a Benthic Iron Shuttle in the Palaeoproterozoic Zaonega Formation: Basinal Restriction, Euxinia, and the Effect on Global Palaeoredox Proxies.
Minerals.
(2021).
Constraining the conditions of phosphogenesis: Stable isotope and trace element systematics of Recent Namibian phosphatic sediments.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
(2021).
Depositional and environmental constraints on the late Neoarchean Dagushan deposit (Anshan-Benxi area, North China Craton): An Algoma-type banded iron formation.
Economic Geology.
(2021).
Iron and carbon isotope constraints on the formation pathway of iron-rich carbonates within the Dagushan Iron Formation, North China Craton.
Minerals.
(2021).
Trace Elemental Partitioning on Clays Derived from Hydrothermal Muds of the El Tatio Geyser Field, Chile.
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.
(2020).
Oxygenated conditions in the aftermath of the Lomagundi-Jatuli Event: The carbon isotope and rare earth element signatures of the Paleoproterozoic Zaonega Formation, Russia.
Precambrian Research.
(2020).
Identifying global vs. basinal controls on Paleoproterozoic organic carbon and sulfur isotope records.
Earth-Science Reviews.
(2020).
Hydrothermally induced $^{34}$S enrichment in pyrite as an alternative explanation of the Late-Devonian sulfur isotope excursion in South China.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
(2020).
New constraints on the onset age of the Emeishan LIP volcanism and implications for the Guadalupian mass extinction.
Lithos.
(2020).
Palaeoproterozoic oxygenated oceans following the Lomagundi–Jatuli Event.
Nature Geoscience.
(2020).
Trace metals.
Encyclopedia of Astrobiology.
(2019).
REE+Y uptake and diagenesis in recent sedimentary apatites.
Chemical Geology.
(2019).
High-CO$\\_2$, acidic and oxygen-starved weathering at the Fennoscandian Shield at the Archean-Proterozoic transition.
Precambrian Research.
(2018).
Multiple sulphur isotope records tracking basinal and global processes in the 1.98 Ga Zaonega Formation, NW Russia.
Chemical Geology.
(2018).
Authigenesis of biomorphic apatite particles from Benguela Upwelling Zone sediments off Namibia: The role of organic matter in sedimentary apatite nucleation and growth.
Geobiology.
(2018).
Distinct origins for Rovno and Baltic ambers: Evidence from carbon and hydrogen stable isotopes.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.
(2018).
Geochemical methods help resolve a long-standing debate in amber palaeontology.
Science Trends.
(2014).
Microfossils in the world's oldest phosphorites.
Fosfor – aegade algusest tänapäevani. Schola Geologica X. Estonian Naturalists’ Society, Tartu [In Estonian].
Awards
University of Alberta Graduate Fellowship
Ashley & Janet Cameron Graduate Scholarship
Graduate Student Teaching Award
Vega Graduate Scholarship
Harington Paleoenvironmental Scholarship
Steve and Elaine Antoniuk Graduate Scholarship in Arctic Research in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship
Kristjan Jaak scholarship programme “Doctoral Study Abroad”
National Contest for University Students
1st prize in Bio- and Environmental Science (undergraduate level)
Employment
Laboratory Assistant / Data specialist
Teaching assistant
Environmental Chemistry Specialist / Analyst
Peer writing tutor
Research Fellow
Talks & presentations
(2021).
The origins of biodiversity: Did changing oxygen levels in the Proterozoic induce the rise of complex life?.
Seminars on Animal Ecology, Tartu, Estonia.
(2020).
The cradle of complex life: Oxygen and eukaryotes 2 billion years ago.
Schola Geologica XVI: Tihedalt koos elamine, Tartu, Estonia [in Estonian].
(2019).
Oxygenated oceans persisted after the Lomagundi Event: Evidence from the Zaonega Formation.
2nd Geobiology Society Meeting, Banff, Canada.
(2018).
High molybdenum abundance in the ~2 Ga Zaonega Formation: Implications for seawater following the Lomagundi excursion.
Gordon research conference “Geobiology 2018,” Galveston, Texas, USA.
(2017).
Trace metal enrichment in 1.98 Ga black shales of the Zaonega Formation.
1st Geobiology Society Meeting, Banff, Canada.
(2016).
Origin of rod and dumbbell shaped phosphate precipitates in Namibian Shelf sediments.
32nd Nordic Geological Winter Meeting, Helsinki, Finland.
(2015).
Apatitic micronodules in Namibian Shelf sediments: Mineralized microbes or diagenetic precipitates?.
Goldschmidt 2015, Prague, Czechia.
(2015).
Phosphatised microstructures in ancient and modern phosphorites.
Scientific knowledge applied to the sustainable use of coastal upwelling ecosystems, Swakopmund, Namibia.
(2014).
Microfossils in the world's oldest phosphorites.
Schola Geologica X: Fosfor – aegade algusest tänapäevani, Jäneda, Estonia [in Estonian].
Contact
- kaarel.mand@ut.ee
- University of Tartu, Department of Geology, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, Estonia