Project Grant 2215771

This $661,462 National Science Foundation project grant under the Polar Programs (47.078) federal grant program supports the acquisition of new laser ablation-high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-HR-ICPMS) instrumentation at the University of Maine. The new instrumentation will replace aging equipment and significantly expand the university's capabilities for trace element analysis of environmental samples like aqueous solutions and ice cores to support climate, environmental, ecosystem and engineering research. It will facilitate collaborations with international partners on laser ablation ICPMS imaging of ice cores and analysis of ice samples from New Zealand, Switzerland, China, Canada and Brazil. The enhanced carbonate analysis capacity will also benefit NSF-funded Gulf of Maine and South Pacific research. The funding is expected to have an immediate impact on current and future NSF projects at the university and maintain its leadership role in global ice core and climate change research through August 2025.