Scientists at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at FSU are analyzing soil and water samples from the site of wildfires that devastated parts of Maui in August of 2023 to learn how the fires impacted the chemistry of the soil and water and how that could affect the ecosystem’s recovery.

Previous MagLab research has focused on fire impacts in Colorado and the African Congo. However, in Maui’s unique landscape, with its volcanic soil, the impacts could be quite different, notes chemist Amy McKenna. Researchers will use the lab’s 21 Tesla Ion Cyclotron Resonance system, the world’s most powerful mass spectrometer, to measure toxins, carcinogens, and other compounds to gauge the environmental impacts and implications for recovery.

• Amy Mckenna