Meteo 532 -- Atmospheric Chemistry -- Fall, 2002

Instructor: William H. Brune

504 Walker Building

865-3286

brune@essc.psu.edu

Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday: 1:10 - 2:00, and by appointment

Lectures: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

12:20 – 1:10

110 Walker Building

Internet access to the course:

The course syllabus, the class lecture notes, copies of exams, and problem sets will all be posted on the Web at http://www.ems.psu.edu/~brune/m532f02/m532f02.htm. On the Meteo 532 homepage is a link to a bulletin board on which questions, answers, and discussions can be posted. Try it.

Course Objectives:

to develop the tools necessary to think about atmospheric chemistry

to learn the atmospheric chemistry behind well-known phenomena such as smog, acid rain, and stratospheric ozone depletion

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 10%

in-class participation 10%

mid-term exam 20%

final exam 30%

case studies 30%

I am required to remind you to be honest and do your own work and that there are penalties for cheating.

Course Outline

1 Introduction (Chapter 1)

2 The atmosphere (Chapter 2)

a Emissions of important chemical families

b Meteorology

c Removal from the atmosphere

d Typical values

e Effects and risk assessment

3 Atmospheric photochemistry (Chapter 3)

a Simplified spectroscopy

b Absorption

c Actinic flux and atmospheric photochemistry

4 Photochemistry of important atmospheric species (Chapter 4)

a Oxygen family

b Nitrogen family

c Sulfur family

d Hydrocarbon family

e Halogen family

f Free Radicals

5 Chemical kinetics (Chapter 5)

a Fundamental gas-phase kinetics

b Reaction systems

c Photochemical models

d Laboratory techniques

6 Chemistry of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and NO_x (Chapters 6 & 7)

a Sources of oxidants

b VOC oxidation mechanisms

c Reactions within the nitrogen family

d Ammonia

7 Acid deposition (Chapter 8)

a Solubility

b SO₂ oxidation

c Organic acids

8 Tropospheric particles (Chapter 9)

a Physical properties

b Particle formation and growth

c Particle chemical composition

d Semivolatile organics

9 Stratospheric Chemistry (Chapters 12 and 13)

a Unperturbed stratosphere

b Chlorofluorcarbons

c The Antarctic ozone hole

10 Global tropospheric chemistry and climate change (Chapter 14)

a Radiation balance

b Trace gases and radiative forcing

c Aerosols and radiative forcing

d Indirect effects

11 Air pollution control strategies (Chapter 16)

a VOC reactivity

b EKMA models

c Alternative fuels

d Control strategies

References

References on atmospheric chemistry with some basics on chemistry and radiation:

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

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

Chemistry of the Atmospheres , Wayne, QC879.6.W39 1991.

Aeronomy of the Middle Atmosphere , Brassuer and Solomon, QC881.2.S8B73 1986.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change , Guy Brasseur, John Orlando, and Geoffrey Tyndall, eds., QC879.6.A85 1999.

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

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