MSc Julius Havsteen

Research Interests

• Stable isotope geochemistry
• Paleoenvironmental reconstruction
• Geobiology

The objective of my research is to investigate the coevolution of Earth and life to better understand questions such as Earth surface evolution through time and how Earth became the only known habitable planet. Currently my work revolves around how the Earth system responded to the mode and size of the first significant accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere. This happened during the “Great Oxidation Event” (GOE), which took place some time between 2.4 and 2.1 billion years ago. I am combining several geochemical approaches such as trace element systematics, traditional stable isotopes (e.g. carbon, oxygen, sulphur) and non-traditional isotope systems (e.g. molybdenum, selenium) to achieve a better understanding of the geochemical interactions and temporal evolution of Earth’s surface reservoirs.

Short CV

Publications (-05/2023)

• Havsteen JC, Kleinhanns IC, Schröder S, Eickmann B, Izon G, Gogouvitis MG, Ngobeli R, Beukes NJ & Schoenberg R (2023): Evidence for contemporaneous deposition of the Duitschland and Rooihoogte formations (Transvaal Supergroup): Implications for tempo and mode of Earth’s Great Oxidation. Precambrian Research 391: 107055, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2023.107055 
• del Rey A, Havsteen JC, Bizzarro M, Dahl TW (2020): Untangling the diagenetic history of uranium isotopes in marine carbonates: a case study tracing the δ²³⁸U composition of late Silurian oceans using calcitic brachiopod shells. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2020.06.002