Undergraduate Course: Earth's Atmospheric Composition (EASC10127)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | We will explore the chemical composition of the atmosphere, with an emphasis on the troposphere (lowest 10-15 km of the atmosphere) where we live and breathe. We will study the surface processes and atmospheric chemistry and transport that determine observed variations in regional and global tropospheric chemical composition. We will cover the fundamentals of atmospheric chemistry (e.g., kinetics, photolysis) so there is no chemistry pre-requisite to this course. The course content, as described below, will be delivered using online material, online class interaction, problem sets and additional reading. |
| Course description |
Course Description
Week 1: Introduction; basic atmospheric properties; simple models
Week 2: Stratospheric chemistry and the ozone layer
Week 3: Tropospheric chemistry 1: Electromagnetic spectrum; hydroxyl radical; oxidation of methane and carbon monoxide; and cycling of hydrogen oxides.
Week 4: Tropospheric chemistry 2: Nitrogen oxides; tropospheric ozone; ozone formation and control strategies
Week 5: Tropospheric chemistry 3: surface emissions and deposition processes
Week 6: Tropospheric chemistry 4: atmospheric particles
Week 7: Air quality and human health
Week 8: Biogeochemical cycles
Week 9: Atmospheric chemistry and transport
Week 10: Reserved for office hours
Lecturer-maintained website: https://sites.google.com/view/palmerteachinglab/home/atmoscomp
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | This is a fourth-year honours level course; students are expected to have an academic profile equivalent to the first three years of this degree programme. Study equivalent to the following University of Edinburgh courses is required; Earth Modelling and Prediction 2 (EASC08026) OR Mathematics for Physics 2 (PHYS08036).
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| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Feedback |
Lecturer-student feedback will be provided on the:
There will be an opportunity to get feedback during class as part of interactive discussions.
Tutor-student feedback will be provided via targeted revision classes throughout the semester. These sessions will support the learning outcomes of the class activities.
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Earth's Atmospheric Composition | 150 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the composition of Earth's atmosphere
- Understand the role of atmospheric transport and chemistry, and surface processes, on observed atmospheric composition
- Appreciate how computer models are formulated and applied to further scientific understanding
- Be able to interpret and question quantitatively information reported in the scientific literature
- Be able to digest and reduce information in the scientific literature and write a succinct report
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Reading List
Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry Jacob (Recommended)
The Atmosphere: A Very Short Introduction, Palmer, Oxford University Press (Recommended as a short, accessible overview)
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Seinfeld and Pandis (A secondary in-depth resource) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Atmospheric chemistry,atmospheric transport,aerosols,inverse methods |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Paul Palmer
Tel: (0131 6)50 7724
Email: Paul.Palmer@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Johan De Klerk
Tel: (0131 6)50 7010
Email: johan.deklerk@ed.ac.uk |
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