AOSC 637

Atmospheric Chemistry

Department of
Atmospheric and Oceanic Science

University of Maryland


Course Web Page, Spring 2011

Prof. Russell Dickerson Course Instructor
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

Application of the techniques of thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy, and photochemistry to atmospheric gases and particles. Investigation of the global cycles of C, H, O, N, and S species; the use of laboratory and field measurements in computer models of the atmosphere. Prerequisites: CHEM 481 or AOSC 620 (Thermodynamics). Students may not take both AOSC and CHEM 637 for credit.

Homework #1.
Homework #2. Homework #2 data.
Homework #3 (2011).
Homework #4 (2011)

Lecture notes:
Lecture #1 (rtf)
Lecture #1/2 (ppt)
Lecture #2 (rtf)
Lecture #2 (ppt)
Lecture #2a (ppt)
Lecture #3 (rtf)
Lectures #3 (ppt)
Lecture #3 (htm)
Lecture #4 (rtf)
Lecture #4 (ppt)
Lecture #5 (rtf)
Lecture #5 (ppt)
Lecture #6 (ppt)
Lecture #7 (ppt)
Lecture #7 (pdf)
Lecture #8 (ppt)
Lecture #9 (ppt)

Internal Combustion/Zeldovich (ppt)

Lecture Strat Ozone (ppt)
Lecture Anthropocene (ppt)
The N Cycle part 1
The N Cycle part 2
Lecture Trop Ozone 2011(ppt)
Lecture #13 (ppt) Carbon Monoxide
Lecture #14 (ppt) Methane
Lecture #16 (ppt) Aerosol Basics
Lecture #17 (ppt) Sufur
Lecture #18 (ppt) Halogens
Lecture #19 (ppt) Acid Rain
Lecture #20 (ppt) Odd Hydrogen, HOx
Lecture #21 (ppt) Biogenic hydrocarbons
Lecture #22 (ppt) Vertical Flux
Old Exam (txt)


BATTING ORDER 2011


EPA Integrated Science Assessment, NOx

EPA SAB Integrated Nitrogen Committee Report

Nice Herry's Law Page from MPI (watch out for the sign error)

REQUIRED TEXT:

[FP] Atmospheric Chemistry: Fundamentals and Experimental Techniques
B.J. Finlayson-Pitts and J.N. Pitts, Jr. , Wiley-Interscience. (ISBN 0-471-88227-5)

Current journal articles will be handed out where appropriate.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS:

[S] Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
J. H. Seinfeld and S. N. Pandis, Wiley-Interscience, 1998. (ISBN 0-471-17816-0)

[J] Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry,
Daniel J. Jacob, Princeton University Press, 1999.

[WW] Air Pollution: Its Origin and Control
K. Wark and C.F. Warner, Harper & Row. (ISBN 0-007-22534-X)

[GC] Atmospheric Change: An Earth System Perspective
T. Graedel & P. Crutzen.

Rethinking The Ozone Problem in Urban and Regional Air Pollution Committee on Tropospheric Ozone Formation and Measurement National Research Council, National Academy Press, 1991. (ISBN 0-309-04631-9)

COURSE CREDIT :

Problem Sets (4 x 5 = 20%): There will be four (4) problem sets - as homework - worth a total of 20% credit toward your final course grade. You are encouraged to use all resources available to you to solve these problems, including books, journals, fellow students (discussion only - no plagiarism, please!) and your instructor.

Examinations (2 x 25 = 50%): There will be two (2) closed-book examinations based on the factual material and general concepts from the course lectures and reading materials. Each exam is worth 25% credit. If an exam is missed without prior excuse of a doctor's note, a grade of zero (0) will be recorded.

Research Project (30%): The remainder, 30%, will be obtained from a research project. Students are required to present their research as a lecture of 20 minutes maximum duration (17 minutes +3 minutes for questions) and to be prepared to answer questions from the class and be graded by the class. The objective is to inform an audience of knowledgeable scientists and engineers whose specialty lies outside the area of your research, i.e. your fellow students. Your grade for the research project and presentation will be assessed (out of the possible 30%) as follows:

·  Instructor assessment (written paper): 10%

·  Student assessment (oral presentation): 20%

All students must attend mandatory class meetings.

RESEARCH PROJECT SEMINAR :

A brief written report must be submitted to the course instructor two weeks prior to your lecture. This should include all salient points of the lecture and copies of all the figures to be shown. A detailed outline is adequate. A good 20-minute (inclusive of question period) seminar should have no more than eight figures unless they are very simple. All major contentions of the research should be referenced in the style of the American Geophysical Union - see a copy of J. Geophys. Res. I will grade the written report and it will count for 5 out of the 30% credit for this section. Seminars will be given in the order of the last three digits of your student number (SSN).

The seminar will be graded by the instructor and the rest of the class, as detailed above. Attendance is mandatory during this phase of the class.

Factors influencing the grade include:

·  1. Approach to the problem

·  2. Originality

·  3. Clarity (not showmanship)

·  4. Completeness of research

·  5. Discrimination of opinion from fact

·  6. Capable responses to questions (student evaluations only)

Factors not influencing the grade include:

·  1. Length of written report

·  2. Artwork

·  3. Number of references, unless you forget some important ones



SUGGESTED TOPICS - Research Project Seminar:

I have suggested some topics (in no particular order) here to get you started with your literature research, but you are encouraged to seek out a problem of special interest to you. Do not be afraid to choose an interdisciplinary, offbeat, or controversial topic, but subject your paper to your best scientific scrutiny and be prepared to defend your contentions to me, and to the class.

·  History of atmospheric chemistry

·  Atmospheric chemistry of other planets

·  Evolution of the Earth's atmosphere

·  Upper atmosphere physics and chemistry

·  Atmospheric radioactivity

·  Biosphere-atmosphere interactions

·  Radiative transfer

·  Combustion chemistry

·  Biogenic hydrocarbons and ozone formation

·  Alternatives to fossil fuels

·  Lightning as a natural source of NOx

·  Industrial air pollution abatement technology

·  Coupling atmospheric transport and chemistry

·  Human health effects of atmospheric pollution

·  Cloud chemistry

·  Heterogeneous chemistry

·  Ocean-atmosphere interactions

·  Atmospheric composition and climate

Please e-mail me your seminar subject and tentative title (you can change the title up to the day of your presentation, but must see k approval from me before you change your seminar subject) as soon as possible.



CODE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY : Be aware of your formal obligation as students at UMCP to be aware of, and abide by, the UMCPCode of Academic Integrity (see UMCP Schedule of Classes) and to conduct yourself with high academic (and personal) integrity at all times.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Class Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00-3:15 pm

Room 1158 Plant Sciences Building

Lecture

Date

Topic

Reading/Comments

1

date

Introduction: Take Home exam

W. Ch. 1&9; F-P. & P Ch. 1 & 2

 

 

Tropospheric ozone and smog: Classic Papers

Chameides and Walker, 1973; Chatfield and Harrison, 1976; Crutzen, 1974 Junge, 1962]

 

 

2

date

NEW

F-P. & P Ch. 2; S. & P. Ch. 1 & 14; W. Ch. 2

3

date

Biogeochemical Cycles and Atmospheric Budgets; THERMODYNAMICS: Enthalpy - Formation and Combustion

S. & P. Ch. 2; W. Ch. 1

4

date

Free Energy, Equilibrium; KINETICS Rates, Rate Constants, Order

F-P. & P Ch. 5; S. & P. Ch. ; W. Ch. 3

5

date

Lifetimes, Half Life, Activation Energy, Arrhenius Expressions, Kinetic Theory, Calculations of Rate Const. w/ Collision Theory

F-P. & P Ch. 5; S. & P. Ch. ; W. Ch. 3

6

date

Transition State Theory, Experimental Techniques

F-P. & P Ch. 5&6; W. Ch. 3

7

date

Steady State Analysis

F-P. & P Ch. 5&6; S. & P. Ch. 1; W. Ch. 1, 3, 4

8

date

PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND SPECTROSCOPY; Absorption Spectra, Term Symbols and Selection Rules, Photolysis

F-P. & P Ch. 3&6; S. & P. Ch. 4; W. Ch. 3&4

9

date

Layers in the Atmosphere

W. Ch. 4

Exam I

March 17

Exam I

Closed Book

10

date

ATMOSPHERIC BUDGETS & EXPERIMENTAL METHODS: The Ox Family, Stratosphere

F-P. & P Ch. 12; S. & P. Ch. 4; W. Ch. 4

11

date

The Ox Family, Troposphere

F-P. & P Ch. ; S. & P. Ch. 5; W. Ch. 5

12

date

The NOx Family

F-P. & P Ch. 7

13

date

Other N Compounds

F-P. & P Ch. 7; S. & P. Ch. ; W. Ch.

14

date

The HOx Family

F-P. & P Ch. ; S. & P. Ch. ; W. Ch.

15

date

Methane, CO, and other Volatile Organic Compounds

F-P. & P Ch. ; S. & P. Ch. ; W. Ch.

16

date

The SOx Family

F-P. & P Ch. ; S. & P. Ch. ; W. Ch.

17

date

Halogens

F-P. & P Ch. ; S. & P. Ch. ; W. Ch.

18

date

Particles

F-P. & P Ch. 9; S. & P. Ch. 7-13; W. Ch.

19

date

Heterogeneous Chemistry

F-P. & P Ch. 5&12; S. & P. Ch. 11; W. Ch. 3&5

20

date

Models

F-P. & P Ch. ; S. & P. Ch. ; W. Ch. 3

21

date

Remote Sensing: Environmental Satellites (Dr. Hudson)

Class Notes

Break

date

No Class, Thanksgiving Break

Enjoy!

Projects I

date

Research Seminars, Students:

Mandatory Attendance

Projects II

date

Research Seminars, Students

Graded By Class

Projects III

date

Research Seminars, Students:

Graded By Class

Projects IV

date

Research Seminars, Students

Graded By Class

Projects V

date

Research Seminars, Students

Graded By Class

Exam II

Tues 5/18

Final Examination 1:30 pm

Closed-Book

F-P. & P. is Fanlayson-Pittts & Pitts; S. & P. is Seinfeld and Pandis; W. is Wayne.

CLASS STUDENT ROSTER

You can email me here: russ@atmos.umd.edu

Last updated May 16, 2010.