1209 Eller O&M Building

Prerequisites: CHEM 101 & 102 or equivalent, or instructor approval

Instructor: Gunnar Schade

Office: 1104B Eller O&M Building

E-mail: schade@ariel.met.tamu.edu

Phone: 845-0633

Office hours: Mon., Wed. 11:00 – 12:00 a.m. or by appointment.

Short Class Description:
This course will explore the basics as well as advanced topics of chemical reactions and transformations in our atmosphere. Chemical and physico-chemical principles relevant to the chemistry in the atmosphere, including some organic chemistry and spectroscopy, will be reviewed. Next, most atmospheric constituents relevant for its chemistry will be discussed to different detail, including their reactive transformations in the troposphere and stratosphere. Relevant analytical measurement techniques will be presented alongside the constituents discussed, with a focus on gas phase chemistry. Student feedback will determine special topics.

Course Outline (subject to change based on student interests):

Week Topic

1            Definitions; Review of periodic table and electron configurations
2            Organic chemistry review as relevant to the atmosphere
3            Radiation and Spectroscopy Review
4            Basic atmo-chemistry Reactions: CO, CH₄, O₃, NO_y, HO_x, lifetimes
5            Analytical instrumentation for basic air quality measurements
6            CO, CH₄, NO_x, SO_x-budgets
7            NO_x and HO_x cycling in the Troposphere, photochemical ozone pollution
8            Hydrocarbon chemistry I, NO_y-chemistry
9            Hydrocarbon chemistry II, sulfur chemistry
10          Analytical instrumentation for detailed atmo-chemistry analysis
11          Stratospheric Chemistry I
12          Stratospheric Chemistry II
13          Special Topic I
14          Special Topic II
15          Review
16          Term paper presentations

Suggested textbooks:

Chemistry of the Natural Atmosphere by Peter Warneck, Academic Press, 1999
Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change by Brasseur, Orlando, and Tyndall, Oxford University Press, 1999
Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry by Peter Hobbs†, Cambridge University Press, 2000

Grading:

Exams: 60%; one exam after the first third, one exam after the second third of the semester
Term paper: 40%, after agreeing with you on a topic (latest by week 8), you will have until the end of the semester to hand in your work, deadline TBA
Grading Scale: 100-90: A; 89-75: B; 74-60: C; 60-50: D; less than 50: F

Possible topics for term papers:
- the impact of isoprene chemistry on tropospheric ozone formation
- the global budget of methane and climate-chemistry interactions
- tropospheric and stratospheric BrO chemistry
- sources, sinks, and atmospheric chemistry of selected VOCs
- cloud processing of trace gases
- ocean-atmosphere trace gas fluxes
- … choose your own!

Aggie Code of Honor:

The Aggie Code of Honor states that lying, cheating, or stealing is not tolerated (http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor). Anyone who violates the rules of academic honesty will receive an "F" for the course and additional sanctions as described in the University Regulations. Plagiarism, usually defined as passing off as one’s own the ideas, words, writings, etc. that belong to another, is a common form of Aggie Honor Code violation. In accordance with its definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission of that person. If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the latest issue of the Texas A&M University Student Rules under the section “Scholastic Dishonesty”.

ADA Statement:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, the legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities, in Cain Hall or call 845-1637.