Emission spectroscopy of laser ablation plume can be applied to in situ elemental analysis of solid surface in liquid, especially if the laser pulse with the pulse width of 150 ns is used. The long nanosecond pulse not only suppresses the disadvantageous broadening and deformation of spectral line profiles usually observed when short nanosecond pulses are used but also greatly suppresses the material removal from analyte surfaces. The latter is also an important advantage for the application to surface analysis.