1. A method of sample analysis, the method comprising: providing a sample including one or more ions of interest to be analyzed; establishing an electrokinetic process of the sample, wherein the electrokinetic process includes one or more gradient regions having significant spatial gradients of one or more physicochemical properties; introducing at least one ionic tracer into the electrokinetic process at a concentration approximately an order of magnitude or lower than that of the ions of interest, wherein one or more of the gradient regions are traversed gradient regions through which the ionic tracer migrates without focusing; detecting one or more tracer signals of the ionic tracer from the electrokinetic process; inferring location and/or motion of the traversed gradient regions from the one or more tracer signals; and providing the location and/or motion of the traversed gradient regions as an output.