EART35001
Atmospheric Composition
10
Semester 1
Undergraduate
Level 6
Dawei Hu
Unit coordinator
1
FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors '
European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 5.0
<div> <p>This course outlines the importance of atmospheric trace components in terms of the roles they play in affecting climate, pollution and biogeochemical cycles. Students will first gain an appreciation of the key trace components in the gaseous and condensed phases and then develop an understanding of the processes determining their transformations, fates and impacts. Illustrative examples of the quantitative evaluation of these processes will enable the students to master the key concepts necessary to understand the roles of varying atmospheric composition.</p></div><p> </p>
<div> <p>This course outlines the importance of atmospheric trace components in terms of the roles they play in affecting climate, pollution and biogeochemical cycles. Students will first gain an appreciation of the key trace components in the gaseous and condensed phases and then develop an understanding of the processes determining their transformations, fates and impacts. Illustrative examples of the quantitative evaluation of these processes will enable the students to master the key concepts necessary to understand the roles of varying atmospheric composition.</p></div><p> </p>
<div> <p>The aim of this course is to deliver an understanding of the trace composition of the atmosphere to enable students to identify, analyse and quantify key atmospheric constituents and processes. The material will cover trace gas and particulate components, their sources, transformation processes, fates and impacts, providing an appreciation of the fundamental science underpinning the effects of atmospheric components on pollution and climate.</p></div><p> </p>
<figure class="table"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="width:496px;" colspan="2">On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:</td><td style="width:72px;">Developed</td><td style="width:66px;">Assessed</td></tr><tr><td style="height:59px;width:64px;">ILO 1</td><td style="height:59px;width:432px;">Use on-line resources to interpret the air quality on any day, and make simple air quality predictions</td><td style="height:59px;width:72px;">x</td><td style="height:59px;width:66px;">x</td></tr><tr><td style="height:54px;width:64px;">ILO 2</td><td style="height:54px;width:432px;"><p>Apply a fundamental process understanding of key trace gas and aerosol phase constituents to quantify example atmospheric problems.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></td><td style="height:54px;width:72px;">x</td><td style="height:54px;width:66px;">x</td></tr><tr><td style="height:57px;width:64px;">ILO 3</td><td style="height:57px;width:432px;">Quantitatively understand the key participating compounds, processes and pathways in stratospheric ozone depletion.</td><td style="height:57px;width:72px;">x</td><td style="height:57px;width:66px;">x</td></tr><tr><td style="height:57px;width:64px;">ILO 4</td><td style="height:57px;width:432px;">Identify and quantify the atmospheric components and processes responsible for photochemical pollution in the troposphere.</td><td style="height:57px;width:72px;">x</td><td style="height:57px;width:66px;">x</td></tr><tr><td style="height:66px;width:64px;">ILO 5</td><td style="height:66px;width:432px;">Quantify the primary and secondary sources, transformation processes and removal processes relevant to atmospheric particulate matter.</td><td style="height:66px;width:72px;">x</td><td style="height:66px;width:66px;">x</td></tr><tr><td style="height:66px;width:64px;">ILO 6</td><td style="height:66px;width:432px;">Describe and quantify the roles of ambient aerosol in cloud droplet formation.</td><td style="height:66px;width:72px;">x</td><td style="height:66px;width:66px;">x</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p> </p>
<p>12 alternating lectures, 6 on gaseous processes and 6 on aerosol processes:</p><p><strong>1. Trace gas introduction </strong> </p><p>atmospheric gas phase processes, trace gas components, reaction kinetics</p><p><strong>2. Aerosol introduction </strong> </p><p>atmospheric aerosol processes, sources, transformations, impacts and sinks</p><p><strong>3. Gaseous photochemistry </strong> </p><p>essential tools of the trade – photolysis, reaction rate order, Arrhenius equation, bimolecular and termolecular reactions, steady state, chemical lifetimes</p><p><strong>4. The nature of atmospheric aerosol </strong> </p><p>anthropogenic and biogenic sources, primary, secondary, size, composition</p><p><strong>5. Stratospheric processes </strong> </p><p>dynamical and chemical: Chapman cycle, heterogeneous chemistry, anthropogenic ozone depletion</p><p><strong>6. Aerosol properties and behaviour</strong> </p><p>volatility, water uptake, transformations in chemical and physical behaviour</p><p><strong>7. Stratospheric chemical processes and ozone destruction </strong> </p><p>continued…</p><p><strong>8. Aerosol fundamentals </strong> </p><p>thermodynamics and gas-aerosol partitioning of components</p><p><strong>9. Tropospheric atmospheric chemistry </strong> </p><p>photostationary state, control of oxidants, photochemical smog</p><p><strong>10. Aerosol-cloud interactions</strong> </p><p>cloud formation, control of water supersaturation, droplet formation dependence on saturation and aerosol properties, impacts of clouds on climate</p><p><strong>11. Tropospheric oxidative chemistry </strong> </p><p>continued…</p><p><strong>12. Aerosol-cloud interactions </strong></p><p>continued... <strong> </strong></p>
<div> <p>The course is delivered through 12 x 2 hour lectures. Formative assessment is provided at regular intervals through 4 example sheets. Course materials, model answers to the examples, web links and on-line text resources are provided through Blackboard.</p></div><p> </p>
1
Written exam
60%
8
Practical skills assessment
40%
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width:102px;height:68px;"> <p align="center">Assessment type</p></td> <td style="width:85px;height:68px;"> <p>% Weighting within unit</p></td> <td style="width:66px;height:68px;"> <p align="center">Hand out and hand in dates</p></td> <td style="width:94px;height:68px;"> <p align="center">Length</p><p align="center"> </p></td> <td style="width:170px;height:68px;"> <p align="center">How, when and what feedback is provided</p></td> <td style="width:123px;height:68px;"> <p>ILO tested</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:102px;height:101px;"> <p>Online assessment based on online web resource</p></td> <td style="width:85px;height:101px;"> <p>40</p></td> <td style="width:66px;height:101px;"> <p> </p></td> <td style="width:94px;height:101px;"> <p>4 hr</p></td> <td style="width:170px;height:101px;"> <p>Feedback provided in lecture following assessment by working through the solution to the problem.</p></td> <td style="width:123px;height:101px;"> <p>1, 2, 4, 5</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:102px;height:101px;"> <p>Exam</p></td> <td style="width:85px;height:101px;"> <p>60</p></td> <td style="width:66px;height:101px;"> <p> </p></td> <td style="width:94px;height:101px;"> <p>1.5 hr</p></td> <td style="width:170px;height:101px;"> <p>Feedback is provided on the formative assessment sheets. School organises feedback session for final exam.</p></td> <td style="width:123px;height:101px;"> <p>1-6</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table><p> </p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width:204px;"> <p>Pre-requisite units</p></td> <td style="width:437px;"> <p>none</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width:204px;"> <p>Co-requisite units</p></td> <td style="width:437px;"> <p>none</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table><p> </p>
BSc (Hons) Earth and Plan Scie
BSc (Hons) Earth (Geochemistr)
Third Year
Optional
MEarthSci (Hons) Ea and Pl Sci
MEarthSci (Hons) Earth (Geoch)
Third Year
Optional
MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Industr
MEarthSci EPS w IE (GeoChem)
Third Year
Optional
MEarthSci (Hons) Earth Abroad
MEarthSci EPS w YA (Geochem)
Third Year
Optional
MEarthSci (Hons) EPS with Res
MEaSc (H) EPS w R (GeoChem)
Third Year
Optional
<p><strong>Resources available on-line</strong></p><p><a href="http://manunicast.seaes.manchester.ac.uk/">ManUniCast</a> – Regional Air Quality and Weather Prediction educational tool</p><p><a href="https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/">UK Air</a> – Defra Air Quality Resources</p><p><em>Through University ebooks:</em></p><p><a href="https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/manchester/detail.action?docID=4462549">Seinfeld and Pandis: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics </a></p>
0
0
100
<figure class="table"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="0"><tbody><tr><td style="height:68px;width:139px;"><p style="text-align:center;"> </p></td><td style="height:68px;width:85px;">Type</td><td style="height:9.75pt;padding:0cm;width:169.5pt;" width="226"><p class="MsoNormal">Example student activity<p></p></p></td><td style="height:68px;width:75px;"><p style="text-align:center;">Total Hours</p></td><td style="height:68px;width:160px;"><p style="text-align:center;">New material</p></td><td style="height:68px;width:104px;">Consolidation and Practice</td></tr><tr><td style="height:39px;width:139px;">Contact time (students are in front of staff)</td><td style="height:39px;width:85px;">Lecture (new material)</td><td style="height:39px;width:75px;">Mostly listening & taking notes (mostly new material)</td><td style="height:39px;width:75px;">24</td><td style="height:39px;width:160px;">24</td><td style="height:39px;width:104px;"> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Lecture (revision/examples)</td><td>Mostly listening & taking notes (no new material- revision of course)</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td style="height:101px;width:139px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:85px;">Practical (new material and practice. Typically 25-50% of practical time is spent on new material)</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;">Interactive individual or group work (problem solving, experiments, watching demonstrations, describing and interpreting samples, paper-based exercises, computer-based exercises)</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:160px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:104px;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="height:101px;width:139px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:85px;">Tutorial</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;">Interactive small group work</td><td style="height:101px;width:75px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:160px;"> </td><td style="height:101px;width:104px;"> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Seminar/examples class</td><td>Working on and discussing questions </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Independent study time</td><td style="height:9.75pt;padding:0cm;width:131.5pt;" width="175"><p class="MsoNormal">Pre/post lecture work<p></p></p></td><td>Reading own notes, re-solving examples, prep work, revisit podcast</td><td>40</td><td> </td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Pre/post practical work/write up</td><td>Complete practical work, prep work, reading feedback</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Studio/workshop time</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p> </p>