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Graduate course providing an introduction to the physical and chemical processes determining the composition of the atmosphere and its implications for climate, ecosystems, and human welfare. We will look at the role of atmospheric chemistry behind several important global environmental problems: Stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric ozone and photochemical smog, oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere, acid rain, global warming.

ATM S 501 or permission of instructor.

Homeworks, 60%; Project paper, 30%; Class participation, 10%.

Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry, by D.J. Jacob, Princeton University Press, 1999. The lectures will largely follow this textbook. Each week the students will be required to read material of direct relevance to the class. Textbook + Errata also available online:http://www.as.harvard.edu/people/faculty/djj/book/index.html

1) Introduction and Fundamentals. Photochemistry; Theory of gas-phase reaction rates; Multiphase chemistry; Analysis of reaction mechanisms; Timescales; Box models.

2) Stratospheric chemistry. Stratospheric ozone and the Chapman mechanism; Catalytic loss cycles (HOx, NOy and halogen chemistry); Polar and mid-latitude ozone depletion; Role of aerosol chemistry in the stratosphere.

3) Tropospheric Chemistry. Oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere; Tropospheric ozone; Tropospheric NOx and hydrocarbons; Air pollution and ozone smog; Tropospheric Sulfur and tropospheric aerosols.

4) Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate. Global warming and atmospheric chemistry, what are the issues?

Students will write a paper and give a 15-minute presentation during the last week of class and finals week. A list of possible topics is included below, or students can pick a topic of their own choosing. The paper should be at least 5 pages long (but no more than 10 pages) using ~1.5 line spacing and include at least 10 references, as well as figures to illustrate your points.

Potential topics.

• The effects of global warming on the recovery of the stratospheric ozone
• Air pollution in mega-cities
• Air pollution and health
• Intercontinental transport of pollutants
• Biogenic emissions of VOCs
• Composition of polar stratospheric clouds
• Biomass burning, and its effect on tropospheric ozone levels in tropical regions.
• Halogen chemistry in the marine boundary layer
• Ozone depletion events in the arctic boundary layer
• Is the global oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere changing?
• Satellite observations of tropospheric composition
• Satellite observations of stratospheric composition
• Lightning and the global NOx budget
• Recent trends in CH4
• Glacial-interglacial changes in CH4
• Planetary photochemistry
• Effects of aerosols on tropospheric ozone
• Cloud chemistry
• Formation of the stratospheric ozone layer in Earth's early atmosphere (~2 billion years ago)

"Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change", G.P. Brasseur, J.J. Orlando, and G.S. Tyndall (eds.), Oxford University Press, 1999.

"Chemistry of the Lower and Upper Atmosphere" Finlayson-Pitts and Pitts, Academic Press, 1999.

"Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: from Air pollution to Climate change" J.H. Seinfeld and S.N. Pandis, Wiley, 1998.

"Chemistry of the Natural Atmosphere" P. Warneck, Academic Press, 1999.

"Atmospheric Change" T.E. Graedel & P.J. Crutzen, Freeman, 1992.

"Chemistry of Atmospheres: An Introduction to the Chemistry of the Atmospheres of Earth, the Planets, and their Satellites" R.P. Wayne, Oxford University Press, 2000.