G434/G534 Air Pollution Meteorology.

Fall 1999.

Dr. Sara Pryor.

Section #2528/2537

Meeting time: MW 2:30-3:45pm. Meeting place: SB131.

Brief outline of topics covered (and an approximate time-line)

Week

Topics. Readings. Assignments.

1M

Introduction to Air Pollution

Topics: Air pollution - what is it? Air pollutants. Scales. Effects. Standards.

Readings: Chapter 1 (Pages 1-25)

Assignment 1 distributed: Week 1 Wednesday.

1W, 2M+W

The Atmosphere - Guest lectures by Prof Brabson in Week 2

Topics: Structure of the atmosphere and state variables. Atmospheric stability and flow.

Global energy budget and circulation. Synoptic scale phenomena and thermally driven circulations.

Readings: Chapter 2 (Pages 26-35) and Chapter 3 (Pages 42-68)

3M+W

No lectures, work on first assignment.

4M+W

Pollutants in the Atmosphere

Topics: Concept of residence time. Criteria pollutants. Sources.

Readings: National Air Quality and Emissions Trend Report: EPA.

Assignment 1 due: Week 4 Wednesday.

Assignment 2 distributed: Week 4 Wednesday.

5M+W

Transport and Dispersion

Topics: Wind profiles. Causes of turbulence, characterizing turbulence. Turbulent fluxes.

Readings: Chapter 4 (Pages 77-92) and Chapter 6 (Pages 137-138)

Graduate student paper distributed.

6M+W

Plume Behavior and Gaussian Diffusion Models.

Topics: Characterizing plume dilution and dispersion under differing stability. Application and basis for Gaussian plume models.

Readings: Chapter 3 (Pages 73-75), Chapter 9 (Pages 197-219) and Chapter 10 (Pages 220-226)

Assignment 2 due: Week 6 Wednesday.

Assignment 3 distributed: Week 6 Wednesday.

7M+W, 8M

Chemical Transformations

Topics: Chemical kinetics and equilibrium states. Tropospheric ozone formation.

Readings: Chapter 12 from Boubel et al.

8W, 9M+W

Dry Deposition (Removal Processes I)

Topics: Controls on dry deposition rates. Modeling dry deposition. Measurement techniques.

Reading: Chapter 10 (Pages 226-234)

Assignment 3 due: Week 8 Wednesday.

Assignment 4 distributed: Week 8 Wednesday.

10M+W, 11M

Wet Deposition (Removal Processes II)

Topics: Precipitation and cloud processes. Nucleation and scavenging.

Reading: Chapter 8 from Stull.

Assignment 4 due: Week 10 Wednesday.

Project distributed: Week 10 Wednesday.

11W, 12M+W, 13M

Biogeochemical Cycles

Topics: How do chemicals cycle in the Earth-atmosphere system. How are we modifying those cycles and what are the impacts of the modification?

Readings: Chapter 5 Brasseur et al.

Graduate student paper due: Week 13 Monday.

13W

Thanksgiving Break - no class

14M+W

Pollutants: Statistical Properties and Modeling

Topics: What determines the statistical distribution of pollutant concentrations and what do the observed distributions tell use about pollutants. How do we build air quality models?

Readings: Chapter 12 (Pages 269-286)

Project due: Week 14 Monday.

15M+W

REVIEW

Final examination: 13 Dec. 7:15-9:15pm

 

Additional notes:

 

Contacting the instructor:

Geography (Student Building) Rm 310.

E-mail: spryor@indiana.edu.

Office hours: MW 1:00-2:00pm.

 

Course grade for G434:

Assigned based on:

  1. Four assignments. Each 10% of final grade.
  2. Project. 30% of final grade.
  3. Final. 30% of final grade. The final exam will incorporate both essay questions and calculations.

Course grade for G534:

Assigned based on:

  1. Four assignments. Each 7.5% of final grade.
  2. Project/paper. 20% of final grade.
  3. Graduate student paper. 25% of final grade
  4. Final. 30% of final grade. The final exam will incorporate both essay questions and calculations.

Notes:

 

Grading scale:

 

Course text:

S. Pal Ayra. Air Pollution Meteorology and dispersion. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0-19-507398-3.

Other readings will be placed on reserve in the Geography and Map Library. They are drawn from:

 

Some friendly reminders:

  1. Turn up to class. The lectures will not be directly from the readings.
  2. Do your readings. They are designed to enhance the learning experience not to needlessly burden you.
  3. Hand in assignments in on time. Late submissions will be penalized by a 10% deduction for each 24 hour period.
  4. Attend the exam. I will ask you fair questions based on the course material (there will be no surprises!).
  5. The University has policies regarding cheating and plagiarism. Please be aware of those policies, I will adhere to them without exception.
  6. I expect all students to show common courtesy to myself and each other during class periods.
Interesting WWW sites:

Criteria pollutants

  • The EPA Office of Air and Radiation WWW site.
  • More from the EPA
    A WWW site from Berlin in Germany.
  • SO2
  • NOx
  • PM10-primary
  • O3
  • VOC

    Global climate change

  • Information from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change .
  • Information from skeptics.
  • A dialogue regarding the benefits of GHG reductions

    Indoor air quality

  • EPA Indoor air quality info.
  • Radon in the MidWest.
    >li>G aussian plume model
    <