Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmosfärskemi och -fysik

FKFF01F, 4 credits

Valid from: Spring 2014
Decided by: FN1/Björn Regnell
Date of establishment: 2013-11-08

General Information

Division: Nuclear Physics
Course type: Course given jointly for second and third cycle
The course is also given at second-cycle level with course code: FKFF01
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

• * be able 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 from 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

• * be able to integrate material on the atmosphere from several disciplines
• * acquire knowledge to integrate material from text books and simpler scientific literature
• * carry out project work and plan a presentation
• * increased ability to present a project and discuss their results with the teachers and course participants

Judgement and Approach

For a passing grade the doctoral student must

• * have increased capability to assess and discuss environmental issues
• within the working life and societal debate from a natural science
• perspective

Course Contents

Atmospheric composition and thermodynamical properties, meteorology, meteorological models, geochemical cycles, climate, greenhouse gases, aerosol, chemical kinetics, stratospheric ozone, oxidising power of the atmosphere, tropospheric ozone and acid rain.

Course Literature

Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. 1999. ISBN 9780691001852.

Instruction Details

Types of instruction: Lectures, exercises, project. The project comprises studies of a scintific paper, follow-up and presentation during a mini symposium. The project can be extended to a more comprehensive project (focusing on a special topic). The course then gives 7,5 hp.

Examination Details

Examination formats: Written exam, written report. The examination consists of a written exam where the student individually answers questions of both calculation and descriptive character, and a project.
Grading scale: Failed, pass
Examiner:

Admission Details

Course Occasion Information

Contact and Other Information

Course coordinator: Bengt Martinsson <bengt.martinsson@fysik.lu.se>