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 2026/27, 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 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam: 60%, Course Work: 40%
Course learning outcomes will be assessed using a formal exam in the May 2027 diet (worth 60%) and a group-led project (worth 40%) that includes individual components.
The group-led project will be run throughout the course.
The purpose of this group assessment is for you and your group to develop some ideas about a topic covered by the Earths Atmospheric Composition course.
You will be asked to choose one of two projects that cover the range of subjects within the course. Each subject will be accompanied by 10+ peer-review papers and report that will help you craft
Given the typical cohort size, we anticipate a group size of five students -- groups will be decided in class.
The assessed component will include written responses based on a proposal format used by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). As a group, you will be expected to write a summary of your idea (300 words) and to explain how you have designed your work (1500 words). As an individual, you will explain the importance of your proposed research and how it has the potential to advance current understanding (1000 words).
This assessment will be discussed in class during Week 1 and groups will be assigned in Week 2. We will hold project labs during weeks 3, 5, and 7 so groups can interact with full-time researchers.
The submission date for the group project is Wednesday of Week 10 , Semester 2, at midday.
The final exam will contain two (equally weighted) quantitative questions. Past exam papers for this course (listed as EASC10102) include example quantitative questions - the short essay question are not longer used. [Access to the exam papers require you to be on the University network]
Assessment Deadlines
Group assessment will be due Wednesday, Week 10, 12noon
AI for assessments:
AI-Assisted Editing
AI tools may be used for identifying ideas, planning, and improving the clarity of your writing, but not for content generation. AI use must be acknowledged in your submission.
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| 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 | Miss Rebecca Steele
Tel:
Email: Rebecca.Steele@ed.ac.uk |
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