(Course description last updated for academic year 2019-20).
Synopsis

This course is hosted by and based in the Department of Chemistry.

This course looks at global change from the perspective of atmospheric composition and its
linkage to the climate system. Issues covered include the fundamental photochemical and
dynamical processes which control atmospheric composition and structure, and how they would differ in a modified climate. The course is designed to complement the material covered in Course I2 Climate change and the carbon cycle: An Earth history perspective, although either course can be taken independently. The course will be lectured and examined in a way that assumes no prior knowledge for those taking the course.

Core lectures (12)
Atmospheric composition and structure. Stratospheric and tropospheric chemical processes.
Climate change.
Major stratospheric catalytic cycles of NOx, HOx, ClOx and BrOx. Atmospheric aerosol and
their role in cloud microphysics and radiative forcing of climate. Ozone depletion in the Antarctic, Arctic and middle latitudes. Future O3 trends.
Tropospheric ozone and tropospheric oxidation processes, including the importance of the OH
radical. The ozone balance - the role of NOx and hydrocarbons.
Greenhouse gases. Radiative balance. Climate change and the links between atmospheric
chemistry and climate.

Recommended books
R. P. Wayne, Chemistry of Atmospheres, Third Edition (2000), OUP. [QC879.6.W39]
G. P. Brasseur, J. J. Orlando and G. S. Tyndall, Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change, (1999),
OUP. [QC879.6.A86]
T. E. Graedel and P. J. Crutzen, Atmospheric Change - An Earth System Perspective, (1993) W. H.
Freeman and Co (New York). [QC981.8.G73]
B. J. Finlayson-Pitts and J. N. Pitts, Jr Chemistry of the upper and lower atmosphere, Academic Press.
[QC879.6.F56]
D. J. Jacob, Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry, (2004) Princeton University Press. [QC879.6.J33]

The following two items contains useful introductory material
J. T. Houghton, Global warming, the complete briefing, (2004), CUP. [QC981.8.G56.H68]
http://www.ipcc.ch International Panel on Climate Change.

Course section:

Other Information

Staff
Dr Chiara GiorioLecturer