Principles of Atmospheric Science

The text makes solid connection between basic physics, chemistry and the observable properties of the atmosphere.

Chapter 2 maps out the fundamental science that govern the temperature of the atmosphere, including the radiation balance and the greenhouse effect.

Chapter 5 describes the absorption of ultraviolet sunlight by the atmosphere and shows how it leads to the formation of the ozone layer.  The chapter includes a discussion of the link between human  activities and ozone loss in the upper atmosphere.

Chapter 3 shows how the unique properties of the water molecule influence the climate system.

1.  Chemical Composition and Structure
     1.1  Major Gases and Trace Gases
     1.2  Atmospheric Evolution: A Brief Overview
     1.3  The State of the Atmosphere
     1.4  Temperature: Definition and Altitude Dependence
     1.5  Temperature:  Nomenclature and Physical Mechanisms
     1.6  Gravity
     1.7  Atmospheric Density and Pressure
     1.8  The Ideal Gas Law
     1.9  Hydrostatic Balance
     1.10 Review Topic: Units and Systems of Measurement
     1.11 Exercises
     1.12 References

2.  Solar and Terrestrial Radiation: The Atmospheric Energy
     2.1  Conceptual Models for Light
     2.2  The Sun
     2.3  The Solar Constant
     2.4  The Budget of Solar Radiation
     2.5  Terrestrial Radiation
     2.6  The Radiative Energy Balance
     2.7  The Greenhouse Effect: A Simplified Model
     2.8  The Atmospheric Energy Balance:  Some Complications
     2.9  Latitudinal Dependence of Heating and Cooling: The Seasonal Cycle
     2.10 Exercises
     2.11 References

3.  Atmospheric Water
     3.1  Water on Earth and in the Atmosphere
     3.2  The Phases of Water
     3.3  The Physical Basis of Saturation
     3.4  Latent Heats
     3.5  Saturation Vapor Pressure - A Quantitative Expression
     3.6  Cloud Formation and Cloud Types
     3.7  The Tropospheric Lapse Rate
     3.8  Vertical Motions, Stable Air and Unstable Air
     3.9  Condensation Nuclei and the Formation of Precipitation
     3.10 The Global Water Cycle
     3.11 Exercises
     3.12 References

4.  Winds - The Global Circulation and Weather Systems
     4.1  Wind Systems in the Earth's Atmosphere
     4.2  Forces that Drive the Winds
     4.3  The Pressure Gradient Force
     4.4  The Coriolis Force
     4.5  The Centrifugal Force
     4.6  Friction
     4.7  Several Forces Acting Simultaneously
     4.8  Observed Winds
     4.9  Exercises
     4.10 References

5.  Chemical Processes and Atmospheric Ozone
     5.1  Atmospheric Chemistry - An Overview
     5.2  Absorption of Solar Radiation - The Photodissociation Rate
     5.3  Atmospheric Ozone
     5.4  Chemistry in a Pure Oxygen Atmosphere
     5.5  Chemical Processes Involving Chlorine
     5.6  The Excited Oxygen Atom, O(¹D)
     5.7  Chemical Processes Involving Nitrogen
     5.8  The Antarctic Ozone Hole
     5.9  Chemical Processes in the Troposphere
     5.10 Primary Pollutants in the Troposphere
     5.11 The Formation of Ozone in Urban Areas
     5.12 Exercises
     5.13 References

6.  The Earth's Climate
     6.1  A Definition of Climate
     6.2  Climate over Geological Time Scales: 4.6 Billion to 1.8 Million Years Ago
     6.3  Climate over the Past 1.8 Million Years
     6.4  Mechanisms of Climate Change: An Overview
     6.5  Changes in Solar Luminosity and the Solar Constant
     6.6  Changes in the Earth's Orbit and Orientation
     6.7  Changes on Land and in the Atmosphere
     6.8  References

Atmospheric Science courses that emphasize physics and chemistry, offered at the undergraduate level, within the departments of Atmospheric Science, Meteorology, Earth Science, Physics, Environmental Engineering, etc.