AOSC 620

Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere I

Text: Physics of the Atmosphere and Climate, second edition, by Murry L. Salby
(Cambridge University Press) 2012.

Chemistry of the Upper and Lower Atmosphere, Finlayson-Pitts and Pitts, 2000.

Recommended: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Seinfeld and Pandis, 2006.

A Short Course in Cloud Physics, Third Edition, by R.R. Rogers and M.K. Yau

Professor Russell Dickerson
Room 2413, Computer & Space Sciences Building
Phone 301.405.5364
rrd@umd.edu,
https://www2.atmos.umd.edu/~russ/

Course Outline Fall 2022

I. Intro (EJ) & Atmospheric Thermodynamics II. Chemical Thermodynamics & CC eq. III. Basic Ocean Chemistry IV. Kinetics and Steady State V. Spectroscopy and Photochemistry VI. Stratospheric Ozone VII. Tropospheric Ozone VIII. Aerosols; Revisit EJ IX. Reactive Nitrogen & Climate EXAM I X. Thermody. Diagrams XI. Stability and Convection XII. Mixing and convection XIII. Cloud Physics XIV. Cloud Properties XV. Exp. Techniques in Cloud Physics EXAM II

Salby Chapters 1-2 Salby Chapter 4 Outside Readings F & P Chapters 3&5 F & P Chapter 4 S. Ch. 17; Outside Readings F & P Chapt. 12; S. Ch. 18 F&P Ch. 9; S Ch. 9 F & P Chapter 7+ Salby Ch. 5&7; R&Y Chapters 3-4 Salby Ch. 7 TBD Chapts S. Ch. 9 S. Ch. 9 NCAR Tech Notes

2 classes 2 classes 1 class 1 class 2 classes 1 class 2 classes 2 classes 1 class 3 classes 4 classes 1 class 2 classes 2 class 1 class

Lecture notes
Caveat: For your convenience only - I reserve the right to update the lectures until they are delivered.
For the first day of class please read Salby Chapter 1

Part I. Basic Atmospheric Thermodynamics and Chemistry

Lecture i, Chem, Phys, and Environmental Justice

Lecture 1, Thermodynamics of Dry Air

Lecture 2, Thermody of Moist air (2019)

Lecture 3, Chem Thermodynamics

Lecture 4, Chem Thermo & CC Eq

Lecture 5, Basic Ocean Chemistry

Thermodiagrams First Half

Lecture 6, Tropospheric Ozone

Lecture 7, Intro to Kinetics

Lecture 8, Kinetics II

Lecture 8b, Kinetics III

Lecture 9, Steady State Analysis

Lecture 10, Spectroscopy and Photochemistry

Lecture 11, Spectroscopy and Photochemistry II

Lecture 12a, Stratospheric Ozone

Lecture 12b, The Ozone Hole

Lecture 12c, Nitrous Oxide, N₂O

Lecture 13, Aerosol Physics & Chemistry

Lecture 14, Aerosol Physics & Chemistry II

Lecture 15, Reactive Nitrogen

Lecture 16, Air Quality and Climate

Midterm Exam (downloadable example from 2009)

Part II. Introduction to Cloud Physics
Lecture CP1, Thermodiagrams

Lecture CP2, Saturated Temp Dfn's 2014

Lecture CP3, Parcel & Boundary Layer Stability

Lecture CP4, Mixing & Convection

Lecture CP5, Dry Parcel Theory

Lecture CP6, Wet Parcel Theory

Lecture CP7, Slice Method

Lecture CP8, Entrainment & moistening

Lecture CP9, Cloud Properties & Experimental Techniques

Cloud Nucleation

Droplet Growth

Methane

Lecture CP10 Numerical Simulation of Clouds

Lecture Numerical Simulation of Clouds, NASA

Optional Lectures
Population Growth

Ice and Snow

Lightning

Layers in the Atmosphere, Ozone (covered in AOSC 621)

Reactive Nitrogen by J. Galloway

Fracking

Black Carbon or Soot

Regular Examination Dates: October 11, November 22, 2022.

Term Paper Due: Monday, November 28, 2022

Final Examination 2022: Mon, Dec. 19, 1:30pm - 3:30pm, 13:30-15:30,
unless there is 100% agreement to move it.

Course grade will be determined by:

Homework Exams Final Exam Term Paper TOTAL

15% 40% 25% 20% 100%

Due Dates for Homework and Term Paper
The term paper is a literature review (with references) on a topic of your choosing related to the content of AOSC 620. Model it on a brief review article or the Introduction of a journal article you are writing. Length about 10 pages not counting figures, tables, and references.

Due 9/13/22 HW #1
Basic Atmospheric Physics

See Salby Chapters 1-3 or Rogers and Yau Chapter 1

Due 9/27/22 HW #2

Atmospheric and oceanic chemical thermodynamics.

Due 10/11/22 HW #3 HW3 photolysis
See Finlayson and Pitts or the JPL compendium (below) for cross sections and quantum yields.

Due 10/18/22 and Bibliography for Term Paper Due.

Due 10/25/22 HW #4 Rogers and Yau problems 2.2, 2.4 (or 2.5); for 2.4 you may use a skew T diagram to estimate the constant and n to test for consistency.

Due 11/8/22 HW #5 Salby problems 5.1 & 5.2. Rogers and Yau problems 4.3, 4.5, & 4.6.

Useful Information
Old Final Exam

Nice Henry's Law Page from MPI

Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Atmospheric Studies from NASA/JPL

Ozone Criteria Document from EPA

2002 August 15 00Z sounding doc

2002 August 15 00Z sounding image

Prepared by Russell Dickerson (rrd@umd.edu ) - Last updated on August 2022