Atmospheric Chemistry

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a foundational understanding of atmospheric chemistry, including the role of radical chain reactions.
• Describe the key processes of atmospheric chemistry, focusing on the sources, transformations, and fates of air pollutants in both gas and particle phases.
• Explain the principles governing particle formation, growth, activation, and their behavior in the atmosphere.
• Analyze the properties of atmospheric particles, including their sizes, sources, lifetimes, and main chemical components.
• Discuss the mechanisms and causes of anthropogenic climate change, focusing on climate forcings and their implications for sustainability.
• Apply and critique atmospheric theories and models (e.g., grey atmosphere model, box models, plume models).
• Use computer-based tools and models for atmospheric analysis.
• Outline the procedures for planning and conducting a field campaign, including data validation techniques.
• Critically assess research in environmental innovations

Skills:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the sources, transformation processes, and fate of atmospheric particles, considering their implications for air quality and climate.
• Analyze the kinetics and mechanisms behind the degradation of various chemicals in the atmosphere, including their reaction rates, photolysis processes, and lifetimes.
• Describe the key reaction systems in the atmosphere, focusing on sources, initiation, propagation, termination, sinks, and the role of radical families.
• Explain the greenhouse effect and identify the most significant greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.
• Be able to discuss models for specific atmospheric scenarios, for example a field measurement campaign or atmospheric pollution event

Competencies:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the chemistry of the atmosphere, including pollution emission sources, chemical transformations, and the deposition of reaction products on Earth's surface.
• Analyze the transport, chemical lifetimes, and typical concentrations of key atmospheric components such as ozone, methane, carbon monoxide, VOCs, aerosols, and radical species.
• Understand how anthropogenic pollution drives changes in air quality and contributes to climate change.
• Apply relevant formulas and chemical reactions with proper units, while recognizing the assumptions underlying these equations.
• Demonstrate an integrated understanding of the course's key topics, explaining connections between them and describing the flow of chemicals from emission to deposition.
• Evaluate the local and global environmental impacts of atmospheric processes, distinguishing between well-established and less-developed areas of the subject.

To achieve a grade of 12, the student must demonstrate a thorough mastery of the course material and objectives with minimal errors. This includes:

• A clear understanding of the physical and chemical processes underlying atmospheric properties.
• Proficiency in using relevant formulas, units, and chemical reaction equations, including an awareness of the assumptions behind them.
• The ability to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject and explain the connections between key topics.
• The capacity to describe the flow of chemicals and materials through the atmosphere, from emission to deposition, and assess their environmental impacts on both local and global scales.
• An understanding of which aspects of atmospheric chemistry are well-established and which areas are still developing.