A purge and trap sampling system for high sensitivity trace gas analysis

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We are requesting funds to purchase a purge and trap sampling system for the analysis of trace gases in oceanic waters. The proposed instrument will be used in conjunction with a currently existing gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer (GC-MS) for the measurement of N2O, CH4 and various sulfur gases, and in the analysis of gas samples from isotope tracer experiments. Gas samples will be collected at sea in the NE Pacific and in various other oceanic regions (e.g. Southern Ocean), and subsequently analyzed in the laboratory. The purge and trap system will be used to enhance our current analytical capabilities (based on a static headspace equilibration technique), providing much higher sensitivity and significantly greater measurement precision. The research enabled by the purchase of the proposed equipment will lead to a better understanding of the chemical and biological processes controlling trace gas cycling in oceanic waters. This work has implications for understanding the global climate system since the gases we measure influence the atmospheric radiative balance. The requested will be used extensively in the training of a wide variety of students, post-doctoral fellows and technicians, and the resulting measurements will be central to a significant number of B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses.