The main work of the course is to understand the Earth's atmosphere from the perspective of physical chemistry. Tools include the use of thermodynamics to understand global atmospheric circulation, and quantum mechanics to interpret the spectra of atmospheric gases and aerosols. Applications include the interpretation of remote sensing data, with a focus on selected topics in the Earth climate system, including anthropogenic influences. The course concludes with a brief survey of other planetary atmospheres and atmospheric evolution.
Prerequisites: CHEM 230 or 231, MATH 181. CHEM 340 is strongly recommended.