SGER: Investigation of Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (ES/MS/MS) for Chemical Analysis of Polar Ice Cores

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This proposal is a request to explore the use of electrospray mass spectrometry(ES/MS/MS) to the analysis of polar ice cores. This technique is capable of rapid,sensitive detection and speciation of a wide range of organic and inorganic analytes inaqueous solution. The technique has the potential to 1) expand ice core analysis to awide range of ionic and polar organic analytes, which can potentially provide new tracersfor air mass origin, atmospheric reactivity, and biogeochemical activity, and 2) greatlyimprove the speed, sensitivity, and accuracy of existing analyses of major and minor ions.The ultimate goal of this effort is to identify new chemicals in ice cores that are sensitiveto environmental change, such as products of biomass burning, soil types, and marineorganics. The ES/MS/MS instrument will be housed in the Department of Earth SystemScience. It will be utilized in research, in graduate education, and in undergraduateeducation as part of the Earth and Environmental Sciences program.