AOSC / CHEM 433 & AOSC / CHEM 633 Atmospheric Chemistry & Climate

Instructor: Ross Salawitch

Grader: Heather Fettke von Koeckritz

Tues-Thurs, 2:00 to 3:15 pm, Atlantic 2428

Spring 2022: 3 units

Required Text:

            Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistry to Society

                        7^th edition, American Chemical Society

      Text can be purchased, rented from me for $20 (refunded upon return of book), or downloaded here.  I'll review how to open the PDF file, if downloaded, in class on 25 Jan 2022.

Syllabus

ELMS Course Page

Supplemental Text:

Global Warming: The Complete Briefing  (5th edition) by John Houghton

Paris Climate Agreement: Beacon of Hope by Ross J. Salawitch, Timothy P. Canty, Austin P. Hope, Walter R. Tribett, and Brian F. Bennett

Twenty Questions and Answers About the Ozone Layer by Ross J. Salawitch, David W. Fahey, Michaela I. Hegglin, Laura A. McBride, Walter R. Tribett, and Sarah J. Doherty

Beyond Oil and Gas: The Methanol Economy by George A. Olah, Alain Goeppert, and G. K. Surya Prakash

Green Chemistry: An Inclusive Approach, edited by Béla Török and Timothy Dransfield (graduate students will be assigned two chapters)

Readings from Supplemental Text will be assigned via password protected files posted below. 

Notes:

1) We will use the  7^th edition of Chemistry in Context rather than the latest (9^th edition) because of student cost (there are hundreds of used copies of the 7^th edition available on Amazon for under $20; there is no used copy market for the 9^th edition).  In addition, since Ross actually helped write the 7^th edition, as noted on page xiv of the Preface, he is able to provide registered students access to an electronic version of the book, as will be discussed during the first class meeting.

 

2)  We will use Chapter 1 and a few other readings from Paris Climate Agreement: Beacon of Hope that Ross and his team wrote.  This book is available electronically, for free, via open access.  Hard copies can be purchased from various on-line venders for ~$45 to $60.  Students are welcome to use the free electronic version of the book for the class.

 

3)  We will attempt to record all lectures.  If the recording is successful, the link for "Video" in the table below will become "hot".  Students are expected to attend lecture in person, whenever possible.  We record lectures to assist students with occasional inability to attend class and to help students review lecture material, particularly for exam preparation.

1. Course Description

2. Course Schedule

3. Grade Policy

4. Admission Tickets

5. Additional Readings

6. Collaboration Policy

7. Office Hours

1. Course Description

The effects of human activity on atmospheric composition, focused on global warming, the carbon cycle, air pollution, and the ozone layer. Fundamentals of atmospheric chemistry (spectroscopy, kinetics, isotopic analysis, and biogeochemical cycles) are related to the modern understanding of climate change, air quality, and ozone depletion, based on resources such as satellite missions, field campaigns, and scientific assessments published by international agencies. We also examine how society’s future energy needs could be met in a manner with less impact on atmospheric composition than the present heavy reliance on combustion of fossil fuels.

The course is taught at a level appropriate for upper class undergraduate physical science majors and first year graduate students.

Pre-requisites: CHEM131 or CHEM135 or CHEM146 and MATH 241 or permission of the instructors.

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2. Schedule

Quiz 19 

  Problem sets due on the date listed

* Reading required for students enrolled in AOSC / CHEM  633

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3. Grade Policy

The overall grades will be based on problems sets (30%), admission tickets (30%), two in-class exams (13.33%) each, and the final exam (13.34%). In addition, students enrolled in AOSC / CHEM 633 are required to write a research paper that is 5 to 8 pages long (single spaced; length does not include figures or references) on a topic of their choosing related to the material covered in class.  Grade on the paper will be factored into their overall grade at a proportion equal to the weight of each exam (i.e. for graduate students, each exam and the paper will be worth 10% each of the overall grade). Students enrolled in 633 may also have an extra question on various problem sets.

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4. Admission Tickets

To encourage completion of the reading assignments prior to class, there is an admission ticket to be completed on ELMS prior to the the start of each class (with the exception of the first lecture). The admission ticket (AT) is a short series of questions drawn from the reading. Each ticket will be graded in a prompt manner. The lowest three AT scores will be dropped. The overall AT grade counts 30% towards the final course grade.  The ATs require a considerable amount of effort, reflected in the 30% weight towards the final grade.

In many cases, the answer(s) to the admission ticket question(s) will be worked into the lecture. Hence, the requirement that admission ticket solutions be complete in prior to the start of lecture. Late submissions of admission ticket solutions are not accepted unless there is an exceptional circumstance. Again, these questions are designed to motivate completion of the assigned reading prior to lecture, which is an important component of learning.

Admission tickets will be posted on this website at least 24 hours prior to the start of each lecture. If an admission ticket for a particular lecture is not posted by 2 pm the day prior to a particular lecture, there will be no admission ticket for that class. Also, if an item other than an admission ticket link appears in the admission ticket column for a particular lecture, there will no admission ticket for that class meeting.

Please remember to hit the ''refresh'' button to see the latest version of this website each time you visit, as we intend to update the website file frequently during the course.

7. Office Hours

Office Hours:

Ross: By appointment; please send an email to arrange

Also, please note:

Just prior to class is generally not a good time for interacting with Ross, because he is typically focused on preparing for that day's lecture.

 

Just after class on Thursdays is also not ideal, sorry to state, because the AOSC Dept seminar is held each Thurs at 3:30 pm.

Ross does strive to be accessible throughout the semester. Please email him to set up a time to meet via Zoom, which is a super-convenient way to connect.

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Website last updated on Tuesday, 10 May 2022