This proposal will add a component to a research project in Central Asia that is currently supported by the Division of Atmospheric Sciences. The PI will determine the spatial and temporal variation of the chemical content of snow and ice in central Asia in order to improve our understanding of the distribution of chemical species in the atmosphere of this region. He plans to collect snow and ice samples within the accumulation areas of ten different central Asian glaciers. The glacierized regions in the Nepalese Himalayas which are extensive and relatively free from the chemical influence of desert dust are an ideal location from which to recover high resolution, regional scale glaciochemical records detailing the annual variation in the strength of the Asian monsoon. This research will be performed in cooperation with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Nepal. This proposal seeks supplementary funds to support field work in Nepal and to support the visit of a Nepalese hydrologist to the University of New Hampshire, Glacier Research Group.
