814101 Atmospheric pollution and climate change

Type
Lecture
Semester hours
3
Lecturer (assistant)
Rieder, Harald , Mayer, Monika , Kuchar, Ales , Arsenovic, Pavle
Organisation
Offered in
Sommersemester 2025
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

This course covers the fundamentals of atmospheric composition and chemistry and their role in atmospheric and climate science. It explores the formation and evolution of Earth's atmosphere and human influence on atmospheric composition. The lecture bridges across the important environmental problems of air pollution, stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change and reviews anthropogenic contribution(s) to each of these issues. The basic chemical reaction mechanisms driving chemistry in the stratosphere and troposphere are explored, as is the influence of ambient meteorology on chemical processes and boundary layer air pollution. Chemistry-Climate connections stand at the centre of the course including e.g. the role trace gases for atmospheric composition and radiative forcing, aerosol formation and aerosol-cloud interaction, pollutant transport, physico-chemical feedbacks in the climate system and diverse strategies emerging in the discussion about geoengineering.
Previous knowledge expected

fundamentals of physcis and chemistry
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

After participation students will have gained a deep understanding of the physico-chemical processes governing the atmosphere and climate systems. Students will be able to comprehend the evolution of Earth's atmosphere, how anthropogenic activities influencing atmospheric composition, and fundamentals of pollutant formation, transport and decay. Students will understand the drivers of stratopspheric ozone depletion and boundary layer pollution and general chemistry-climate connections. Students will comprehend the role of greenhouse gases and aerosols in the climate system and how anthropogenic activity has altered their concentration and abundance over the last decades and centuries. Participants will have gained knowledge about future projections for atmospheric composition and resulting changes in radiative forcing and climate.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.