Meteo 437 -- Atmospheric Physics II (Cloud Physics) – Spring, 2004

 

Instructor:  William H. Brune

                    504 Walker Building

                    865-3286

                    brune@essc.psu.edu

 

Office Hours:     Monday, Wednesday: 11:00 - 12:00, and by appointment (You can come by.  If I can see you at that moment, I will.  If not, we can schedule an appointment.)

 

 Lectures:    Monday, Wednesday, Friday

                    10:10 – 11:00

          103 Leonhard Building

 

Teaching Assistant:  Robert Long


Office:                           406 Walker
Office Hours:                TBD
E-mail:                          rbl119@psu.edu
IM screen name:          RBL32179meteo
Work phone:                863-1036

 

 

Internet access to the course:

 

The course syllabus, the class lecture notes, copies of exams, problem sets and solutions will all be posted on the Web at ANGEL     

 

Course Objectives:

 

to develop the tools necessary to think about cloud physics and chemistry

 

to learn the cloud physics and chemistry and it role in weather and climate

 

Course Approach:

 

This course will be a combination of lectures, class discussions, and case studies.  Preparation for class will be essential. Please bring a calculator if you are not facile with estimations.

 

 

Grading:

 

problem sets

20%

weekly quizzes

10%

1st mid-term exam

20%

2nd mid-term exam

20%

final comprehensive exam

30%

 

Academic Integrity:

 

I am required by the university to remind you to be honest and do your own work and that there are penalties for cheating.  You may work together on the homework, but work alone on the quizzes and exams.

 

You should familiarize yourself with the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Statement on Academic Integrity at: http://www.ems.psu.edu/students/integrity/statement.html

 

 

Course Notes:

 

I will post the following information on the website: abridged class notes; problem sets; solutions to problem sets; study guides; and solutions to the exams.  While I have used the web extensively in my most recent courses, I am using Angel for the first time.  I appreciate any helpful comments that you might have that would improve my use of Angel. 

 

Course Outline:

 

A. Clouds in the Atmosphere

          1. The role of clouds in atmospheric processes

          2. General characteristics of clouds

          3. A brief review of cloud thermodynamics

B. Properties of aqueous systems

          1. Molecular properties and structures

          2. Phase relationships

          3. Multi-component systems

C. Atmospheric chemistry

          1. Gas-phase chemical reactions

          2. Trace gases in the troposphere

          3. Trace gases in the stratosphere

D. Aerosols

1. Sources and types of aerosols

          2. General characteristics

a. Size, surface area, volume, and mass

b. Chemical characteristics

c. Optical properties

          3. Cloud condensation nuclei

E. Nucleation

          1. Liquid phase

          2. Ice phase

F. Cloud and precipitation formation

          1. Development of supersaturation

          2. Growth by vapor deposition

          3. Growth by collisions

          4. Cloud-scale phenomena

          5. Weather radar

G. Cloud and precipitation chemistry

          1. Scavenging processes

          2. Aqueous-phase Chemistry

          3. Acid rain

          4. Biogeochemical cycles

H. Atmospheric electricity

          1. Principles

          2. Fair-weather field

          3. Cloud electrification

 

 

References:

 

Required texts:

 

A Short Course in Cloud Physics (3rd Edition), Rogers and Yau, 1989

Introduction to atmospheric chemistry, Daniel Jacob, QC879.6.J33 1999.

 

Additional reading:

 

References on cloud physics, aerosols, and atmospheric chemistry:

 

Atmospheric Science: An Introductory Survey, Wallace and Hobbs, (QC861.2.W34), 1977

Fundamentals of Weather and Climate, McIlveen, (QC981.3 M43 1991), 1991.

Clouds and Storms, Ludlam, (QC921.5.L83), 1980.

Microphysics of Clouds and Precipitation, Pruppacher and Klett, (QC921.5 P78), 1978.

Chemistry of the Upper and Lower Atmosphere, Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, James Pitts, 99-63218, 2000.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics , John Seinfeld and Spiros Pandis, QC879.6.S45 1997

 

References on chemical kinetics:

 

Chemical kinetics, Laidler, QD501.L17      1987.

Kinetics and dynamics of elementary gas reactions , IWM Smith, QD501  1980.

Thermochemical kinetics , Benson, QD511.B48  1976.

any physical chemistry and many chemistry texts

 

References on radiation and molecules:

 

Photochemistry of Small Molecules , Okabe, QD708.2.033  1978.

Spectra of Diatomic Molecules , Herzberg, 1950.

any of a number of atomic and molecular spectroscopy books

 

General references:

 

Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Stratospheric Modeling , Demore et al., JPL Publication 94-26    1994.

U.S. Standard Atmosphere , 1976, NOAA, 1976.

 

Useful journals:

 

Aerosol Science; Atmospheric Chemistry; Atmospheric Environment; Environmental Science Technology; Geophysical Research Letters; Journal of Atmospheric Science; Journal of Geophysical Research; Nature; Science

Useful websites:

 

JPL rate coefficients, absorption cross sections, and enthalpy data:

                    http://jpldataeval.jpl.nasa.gov/pdf/JPL_02-25_rev02.pdf

 

Fundamental physical constants and atmospheric properties

 

Atmospheric chemistry glossary:  http://www.shsu.edu/~chemistry/Glossary/glos.html

 

NIST chemical kinetics data base: http://kinetics.nist.gov/index.php

 

Atmospheric chemistry courses are other universities:

  UC Irvine – Sergey Nizkorodov: http://eee.uci.edu/02f/41090/

  Harvard University – Daniel Jacob: http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~eps133/

 

NASA electronic textbook on stratospheric chemistry:

http://see.gsfc.nasa.gov/edu/SEES/strat/class/S_class.htm

 

Problem Sets and their solutions:

 

 

 

 

Study guides for the exams:

 

 

 

Exams and their solutions: