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Semester 2

Earth's Atmospheric Composition (EASC10127)

Subject

Earth Science

College

SCE

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

4

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Course Summary

We will explore the chemical composition of the atmosphere, with an emphasis on the troposphere (lowest 10-15 km of the atmosphere) where we live and breathe. We will study the surface processes and atmospheric chemistry and transport that determine observed variations in regional and global tropospheric chemical composition. We will cover the fundamentals of atmospheric chemistry (e.g., kinetics, photolysis) so there is no chemistry pre-requisite to this course. The course content, as described below, will be delivered using online material, online class interaction, problem sets and additional reading.

Course Description

Course Description Week 1: Introduction; basic atmospheric properties; simple models Week 2: Stratospheric chemistry and the ozone layer Week 3: Tropospheric chemistry 1: Electromagnetic spectrum; hydroxyl radical; oxidation of methane and carbon monoxide; and cycling of hydrogen oxides. Week 4: Tropospheric chemistry 2: Nitrogen oxides; tropospheric ozone; ozone formation and control strategies Week 5: Tropospheric chemistry 3: surface emissions and deposition processes Week 6: Tropospheric chemistry 4: atmospheric particles Week 7: Air quality and human health Week 8: Biogeochemical cycles Week 9: Atmospheric chemistry and transport Week 10: Reserved for office hours Further Course Information https://path.is.ed.ac.uk/courses/EASC10127_SV1_SEM2 http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/20-21/dpt/cxeasc10127.htm Lecturer-maintained website: https://sites.google.com/view/palmerteachinglab/home/atmoscomp

Assessment Information

Written Exam 50%, Coursework 50%, Practical Exam 0%

Additional Assessment Information

Written Exam: 50%, Course Work: 50% The formal written exam will take the form of two numerical questions. The course work includes two computer labs, each including a directed 300-word literature survey. Both directed literature surveys will include pre-assigned papers to review and summarise. The literature surveys will be marked following the common marking scheme. https://www.ed.ac.uk/timetabling-examinations/exams/regulations/common-marking-scheme Assessment Deadlines Assessed computer labs, including directed literature surveys, will be set in Weeks 5 and 8 of semester 2 and due on the Wednesday of Weeks 6 and 9 of semester 2, respectively, at 12 noon via online submission. The formal written exam will be sat in the May exam diet. Assessed Computer Lab 1: Semester 2, Wednesday Week 6, 12noon (online via Turnitin) Assessed Computer Lab 2: semester 2, Wednesday Week 9, 12noon (online via Turnitin)

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