Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmosfärskemi och -fysik

FKF035F, 7.5 credits

Valid from: Spring 2020
Decided by: Anders Gustafsson / FUN(2)
Date of establishment: 2019-11-15

General Information

Division: Nuclear Physics
Course type: Third-cycle course
Teaching language: English

Aim

The course should provide understanding of physical, chemical and meteorological processes in the atmosphere as well as environmental concequences of changes of atmospheric composition caused by human activities, such as climate change and destruction of stratospheric ozone. The course should also provide a capability to assess and discuss environmental issues within the working life and societal debate from a natural science perspective.

Goals

Knowledge and Understanding

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• know how to undertake physical and chemical calculations for the atmosphere based on presented methodology and modelling tools, such as meteorological box models and simple climate models, and to interpret the results in atmospheric and environmental perspectives
• be able to describe and understand the role of atmospheric processes in important environmental issues from a narural science perspective
• know how to explain qualitatively and in some cases quantitatively the impact of human activities on the atmosphere, and in a wider perspective, the conditions for life.

Competences and Skills

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• acquire knowledge to integrate material on the atmosphere from several disciplines
• acquire knowledge to integrate material from text books and simpler scientific literature
• be able to carry out project work and plan a presentation from given instructions
• have increased skills to present a project and discuss their results with the course teachers and other audience.

Course Contents

Atmospheric composition and thermodynamical properties, meteorology, meteorological models, geochemical cycles, climate, aerosol, chemical kinetics, stratospheric ozone, oxidising power of the atmosphere, tropospheric ozone and acid rain. The project includes studies of scientific litterature, evaluation, and presentation at a seminar. The research student selects subject, which must be approved by the course teachers before the project start. The subject must be directed to the atmosphere, based on the course content, and be a broadening of the knowledge. The subject cannot be part of the thesis work. It's okay if the subject later might be relevant for the thesis work.

Course Literature

Jacob: Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. ISBN 0691001855.
Additional material handed out during the course.

Instruction Details

Types of instruction: Lectures, exercises, project. The project extent is 3,5 hp (ca 2 weeks of work).

Examination Details

Examination formats: Written exam, seminars given by participants. The examination consist of a written exam (extent: 4 hp), and a project (extent: 3,5 hp) orally presented at a seminar (ca 45 min incl. discussion).
Grading scale: Failed, pass
Examiner:

Admission Details

Assumed prior knowledge: FMAA05 Calculus in One Variable, or equivalent.

Further Information

It is mandatory to attend the first lecture in order to be admitted to the course. The course follows the course FKFF05 but with a larger project.

Course Occasion Information

Contact and Other Information

Course coordinators:
Web page: http://www.nuclear.lu.se/utbildning/obligatoriska_kurser/atmospheric_chemistry_and_physics/