5. Air Pollution and Atmospheric Chemistry#
Lecture 18 – An overview of the atmosphere
During this lecture we will review the structure (layers) of the atmosphere. We will use physical principles to determine how mass changes and why. We will review what causes variations in temperature in the atmosphere and the important role that ozone plays. We will review the most important radiatively active gases/aerosols in the atmosphere.
Lecture 19 – Air pollution
During this lecture we will define what comprises air pollution. We will identify the main air pollutants as nitrogen dioxide (\(\mathrm{NO_2}\)) and particulate matter (PM) and look at their sources and sinks. We will review historical trends and the current distribution as viewed in situ and from space (through application of the Beer-Lambert law).
Lecture 20 - The chemistry of pollutants
During this lecture we will review the mechanism of loss of pollutants in the atmosphere. This occurs through four main routes: gas-phase oxidation, heterogeneous uptake, photolysis and gas-to-aerosol partitioning. We will calculate how these different processes impact the lifetime of a pollutant and calculate the steady state burden of \(\mathrm{NO_2}\).
Lecture 21 - Aerosols
This lecture describes the basic characteristics of of atmospheric particulate matter, such as formation processes, sources, removal processes, chemical composition, and size distribution. We will also cover kinetic processes determining heterogenous reaction rates, and the resistance model for uptake of gases into particles and droplets.
Lecture 22 - Air pollution and climate
This lecture describes how aerosols affect climate through their interaction with clouds. It introduces the role of aerosols in cloud formation, the Koehler theory and rate of droplet growth. It introduces also the role of aerosols in modifying cloud properties such as cloud optical thickness, lifetime, and albedo.