The Atmosphere-notes

 

The Atmosphere

Atmospheric reactions

Energy balances in the atmosphere

Radiation transfers through atmosphere

Weather and climate

 

Physical characteristics of the atmosphere

Major components

Minor components

Trace gases

 

Pressure, Density, and Altitude

or

 

Temperature also varies with altitude

 

Stratification of the atmosphere

 

Energy transfers:

Insolation--the solar constant

1.34 kW / M2 = 19.2 Kcal/min/M2

Half reflected directly or indirectly

other half reaches surface and is absorbed

 

Heat transport mechanisms

Conduction

Convection

Sensible heat

Latent heat

Radiation

Water vapor and Carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effect

 

Albedo

 Mass transfer in the Atmosphere

Effect of water

 Movement of air masses and convective energy transport

Fronts, winds and air currents

 

Lapse rates

  

Effect of topography

 

Global air circulation

 Fronts and storms

 Inversions and air pollution

  Monsoons

Ice ages

 Urbanization effect on microclimate

City heat domes

  Photochemical reactions in atmosphere

Excited molecules

 

Absorption of light photon produces excited species. Energy lost by:

Physical quenching
Dissociation
Direct reaction
Luminescence,

fluorescence, phosphorescence, chemiluminescence

 

Intermolecular energy transport

  

Intramolecular energy transport

  

Spontaneous isomerization

 

Photoionization

 

Free radicals in the atmosphere

 

 Chain propagating and chain terminating reactions

 

 

Hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals in the atmosphere

 

Evolution of the atmosphere

 

 

Acid base reactions in the atmosphere

Carbon dioxide

 

Sulfur dioxide

 

Basic particulates

 

Ammonia

 

Atmospheric Oxygen

  

Ozone

  

Nitrogen in atmosphere

 

Carbon dioxide

 

Water

 

Particles

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