Atmospheric Chemistry

Earth’s atmosphere touches everything on the surface of our planet has evolved, from the first signs of life on land and in the oceans to today’s This seminar course will provide students with an understanding of the chemical and physical processes that determine the composition of the atmosphere and its implications for climate, ecosystems, and human welfare. Topics to be covered include basic measures of the atmosphere; photolysis and reaction kinetics; atmospheric transport of trace species; stratospheric ozone chemistry; tropospheric hydrocarbon chemistry; oxidizing power and nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and carbon cycles; chemistry-climate-biosphere interactions; aerosols, smog, and acid rain.