Remi Stanus

I am a joint PhD student at both the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. I am working on the mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic characterization of Namibian soils and aerosols in order to better understand their environmental and climatic impacts. I obtained a master's degree in geology from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, where I focused on Cu-Ag-Pb-Zn supergene mineralization at the Bou Skour deposit in Morocco. I then completed a postgraduate program in meteorological and climate modeling at Ghent University, which allowed me to strengthen my expertise in atmospheric processes and climate dynamics.My research experience includes a three-month internship at the Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), during which I carried out analytical work on mineral dust aerosols from southern Africa, including fieldwork at the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute in the Namib Desert in Namibia. My thesis topic combines mineralogical, elemental, and isotopic tracers (Sr, Nd, Pb, Hf, Fe, Cu, Zn) to study dust sources, mixing processes, and the dynamics of natural and mining desert aerosols, with the aim of improving atmospheric models and understanding their impacts on the climat.

Education 

• Postgraduate Studies in Weather and Climate Modeling(2025) 
• Master in geology, in-depth focus (2024) 
• Bachelor in geology (2022)

Project

Geochemical, mineralogical and isotopic  study of Namib anthropogenic and mineral  airborne particles for a better identification  of their emissions and impacts on Climate

Airborne particles are crucial in the Earth system, influencing atmospheric chemistry, radiative balance, ocean productivity, and climate. Southern Africa (SAF) is a major dust source, with deposition covering the entire southern hemisphere (SH), and in particular the South Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Antarctica. Namibia, identified as a climate change hotspot, faces increasing aridity, extreme temperatures, and intensified dust emissions. At the same time, the energy transition is driving higher metal demand, expanding mining activities in Namibia, and increasing the release of metal-rich aerosols. However, the long-range transport and environmental impact of these aerosols remain poorly constrained due to limited geochemical and isotopic data. The GOBABEB project aims to address these gaps through an in-depth mineralogical, geochemical (major, traces & rare earth elements REE concentrations), and isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb, Hf, Cu, Zn, Fe) study of bulk soils and airborne particles from key Namibian dust sources, including the coastal desert, Etosha Pan, and mining regions. It will examine fractionation processes affecting REE and isotopes (e.g., Nd-Hf decoupling from zircon effects) across different grain-size fractions (PM2.5 & PM10) generated from bulk soils. In addition, a statistical REE mixing model and isotopic signatures will contribute to identify the mineralogical and geochemical signatures of Namibia dust source areas and their relative contributions in anthropogenic and natural atmospheric emissions in SH. Additionally, the project will integrate these new datasets into the IMPACT model, enhancing simulations of aerosol emission, transport and deposition, and improving our understanding of mineral dust and metal-bearing aerosols’ effects on atmospheric circulation, ocean biogeochemistry, and climate evolution.

Supervisors: Nadine Mattielli, Christophe Snoeck

Keywords:

• Geology
• Mineralogy
• Geochemistry
• Soils
• Aerosols
• Isotopic Analyse
• Desert Dust
• Mines
• Namibia 

Publications

• Remi STANUS, Julien POOT & Johan YANS, Contribution to the characterization of the supergene mineralization of the Bou Skour Cu-Ag(-Pb-Zn) deposit (Anti-Atlas, Morocco),  Geologica Belgica Journal, 2024, Volume 27, number 3-4, 273 (Abstract)
• Julien POOT, Remi STANUS, Augustin DECKONINCK, Mohamed EL AZMI, Lhou MAACHA,  Mohammed BOUABDELLAH, Johan YANS, Mineralogy of the supergene Cu-Pb-Zn Bou Skour  deposit (Anti-Atlas, Morocco), Poster, 8th International Geologica Belgica Meeting, Liège, 2024. 
• Julien Poot, Remi Stanus, Mohammed EL Azmi, Augustin Dekoninck, Lhou Maacha, Gaëtan Rochez, Mohammed Bouabdellah, Johan Yans, Weathering processes and the role of combined chlorite-dolomite as main neutralizing agents of acidic fluids in the Cu(-Pb-Zn-Ag) Bou Skour supergene deposit (Eastern Anti-Atlas, Morocco), Journal of African Earth Sciences, March 2026, Volume 235