Atmospherechemistry 161203132228

Atmospheric
Chemistry
• eric chemistry is a branch of
Sc e in which Chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere and
Atmospheric
that of other planets is studied.
• It is a multidisciplinary approach of research and
draws on:
O Environmental Chemistry
O Physics
O Meteorology
O Computer Molding
Oceanography
Geology and
o Volcanology and other discipline
Topic-ATMOSPHERE CHEMISTRY
Earth’s atmosphere has a series of layers, each with
its own specific traits.
Moving upward from ground level, these layers are
namedTroposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere and
Exosphere.
The exosphere gradually fades away into the realm
of interplanetary space.
Atmos
EARTH’S
ATMOSPHERE
Exosphere Exosphere
•160O km; Very high

Temp.,
Thermospher
«H„ HE, Outer Space e
Thermosphere
•9O-500 km; -92 to 1200 0
C
Temp., Mesosphere
•O„ NO+
Mesosphere Stratosphere
•50-90 km; -2 to -92 oC Temp,
«(lonoshere: O’„ 0+ , NO+ , e-) Troposphere
Stratosphere
•11-50 km; -56 to -2 °C Temp,
«0, (Ozone Layer: 15 km)
Troposphere
•O-11 km; 15 to -56 C Temp,
0
•N„ O„ CO„ H,O

Trmposphere $
—
The troposphere is the lowest layer of our ‘
atmosphere.
Starting at ground level, it extends
upward to about 1o km (6.z miles or
about 33. ooo feet) above sea level.
We humans live in the troposphere,
and nearly all weather occurs in this
lowest layer.
Most clouds appear here, mainly because
gg%o of the water vapor in the
atmosphere is found in the troposphere.
Air pressure drops and temperatures
get colder, as you climb higher in the
troposphere. 3q
”
tospher
e
The stratosphere extends from the top of the
troposphere to about o km 1 miles) above the
s (3
ground.
The infamous ozone layer is found within the
stratosphere.
Ozone molecules in this layer absorb high-energy
ultraviolet (UV) light from the Sun, converting
the UV energy into heat.
Unlike the troposphere, the stratosphere
actually gets warmer the higher you go!
That trend of rising temperatures with altitude
means that air in the stratosphere lacks the
turbulence and updrafts of the troposphere
beneath.
Commercial passenger/ets/Iy in the lower
stratosphere, partly because this less-turbulent layer
provides a smoother ride.
The jet stream flows near the border between the
troposphere and the stratosphere.
Mesosphere
 Above the stratosphere is the mesosphere.
 I t extends upward to a height of about
85 km (53 miles) above our planet.
 M o s t meteors burn up in the
mesosphere.
Unlike the stratosphere, temperatures
once again grow colder as you rise up
through the mesosphere.
 T h e coldest temperatures in Earth's
atmosphere, about -90° C (-130° F), are
found near the top of this layer.
 T h e air in the mesosphere is far too thin to
breathe; air pressure at the bottom of the
layer is well below 1% of the pressure at sea
level, and continues dropping as you go
higher.
Thermosphere
• The layer of very rare air above the mesosphere is
called the thermosphere.
• High-energy X-rays and UV radiation from the
Sun are absorbed in the thermosphere, raising its
temperature to hundreds or at times thousands of
degrees.
• The air in this layer is so thin that it would feel
freezing cold to us!
• The thermosphere is more like outer space than a
part of the atmosphere. Many satellites actually
orbit Earth within the thermosphere!
• The top of the thermosphere can be found
anywhere between 500 and 1,000 km (311 to 621
miles) above the ground. Temperatures in the
upper thermosphere can range from about 500 °C
(932 °F) to 2,000 °C (3,632 °F) or higher.
• The aurora, the Northern Lights and Southern
Lights, occur in the thermosphere.
sphere
Although some experts consider the thermosphere
to be the uppermost layer of our atmosphere,
other considert the exospthere to be the actual
"final frontier of Earth s gaseous envelope.
As you might imagine, the "air" in the exosphere is
very, very, very thin, making this layer even more
space-like than the thermosphere.
In fact, air in thte exosphere is constantly - though
very gradually leaking" out of Earth's
atmosphere into outer space.
There is no clear-cut upper boundary where the
exosphere finally fades away into space.
Different definitions place the top of the exosphere
somewhere between ioo,ooo km (62,Ooo miles)
and igo,ooo km (12O,ooo miles) above the surface
of Earth.
The latter value is about halfway to the Moon!
Tonospher °
e a distinct layer like
The ionosphere is not ‘
the other mentioned above.
The ionosphere is a series of regions in
parts of the mesosphere and thermosphere
where high-energy radiation from the
Sun has knocked electrons loose from
their parent atoms and molecules.
The electrically charged atoms and
mo/ecu/es that are formed in this way are
called ions, giving the ionosphere its name
and endowing this region with some
special properties.
Aytmospheric
xstry
The composition and chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere
is of importance for several reasons.
But, primarily because of the interactions between
o Atmosphere and
o Living organisms.
The composition of the Earth's atmosphere changes as
result of natural processes such as:
o Volcano emissions
O Lightning and
o Bombardment by solar particles from corona.
It has also been changed by human activity and some of
these changes are harmful to:
o Human health
o Crops and
o Ecosystems.
Examples of problems which have been addressed by
atmospheric chemistry include:
Acid rain
o Ozone depletion
Photochemical smog
o Greenhouse gases and
o Global warming.
This phenomenon came to attention in the 1970S
Burning coal, oil and natural gas in power stations makes electricity,
giving off éïu/phur dioxide gas.
Burning petrol and oil in vehicle engines gives off 7Vitroqen oxides as
gases.
Presence of H SO, (related to SO, from coal combustion) and
2
HNO,
(from NO 2)
In the presence of lightning and thunderstorm, the nitrogen of the
atmosphere combines with oxygen to form nitric oxide (NO), which
in turn combines with oxygen to give nitrogen dioxide.
2
N, + z0 NO + O, -• z NO
—• z NO,
In the atmosphere, nitrogen dioxide reacts with water vapour
producing nitric acid, which is washed down as acid rain.
3 NOz + H,O -• z HNO,+ NO
The formation of 7Vitric acid and 5ïu/pùuric acid as secondarç
po//utonts in the atmosphère leads to acid rain.
Acid rain
 A l l rain is acidic with or without air pollution.
 T h i s is due to the natural presence of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere with dissolves in rain drops of rain water (even
moisture present in the atmosphere does the same function) to
form Carbonic acid.
CO2 + H2O → H2CO3
 D u e to the above reaction carbon dioxide can dissolve in water
until the solution becomes saturated.
 T h i s results in the rain water attaining an acidic pH of 5.6
 D u e to this, the purest form of rain reaches the earth as

an acidic solution of pH 5.6
 A c i d i t y causes Environmental problems like
o Destruction of vegetation
o Marine life
o Corrosion and
o Etching of buildings that are exposed to atmosphere.
How ozone is
formed?
Step
Ste
p
Ozone depletion
Man-madecausesofdepletionofozonelayer:
• The main cause for the depletion of ozone is determined as
excessive release of chlorine and bromine from man-made
compounds such as chloro fluoro carbons (CFCs).
• CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)
• Halogens
• CH3CCl3 (Methyl chloroform)
• CCl4(Carbon tetrachloride)
• HCFCs (hydro-chlorofluorocarbons)
• Hydrobromofluorocarbons and
• Methyl bromide are found to have direct impact on the
depletion of the ozone layer.
• These are categorized as Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS).
• Chlorofluorocarbons are released into the atmosphere due to:
o Cleaning Agents
Coolants in refrigerators
o Packing material
Air conditioning
o Aerosol spray cans etc.
o
Why is the ozone layer
important?
UV- Radiation DNA —
dama
Sl<in
Cancer
reenhousej;ase
•
s
The atmosphere is the air around the surface of the earth. It is made from
a mixture of gases. We need it for animals and plants to survive.
• Some of the gases act like a blanket, trapping heat. These gases are
called
‘Greenhouse gases’.
• The main greenhouse gases
are: O Carbon dioxide
0 Methane
O Nitrous oxide
O Ozone
O Water vapour
« Halocarbons
• This is known as the ‘Natural
Greenhouse Effect’.
• Without it, the earth would be
much colder.
• The heating of the earth
through human activities
is called the
‘Enhanced
Greenhouse Eñect’ and this is
causing the earth to heat up, or
Global warming.
• Global warming doesn’t just mean that the earth gets hotter, it means that the
whole climate is changing.
N—a- t34rat Atmosphere O n c e
I
Greenhouse i has more
i greenhouse
effect Greenhouse
Heat radiates
I gases
Heat radiates effect
from the earth from the earth
Some heat Less heat
goes OUt t goes out
space _ to space
I
Atmosphere traps
Atmosphere traps
some heat I more heat
I
Quite a lot of More heat
I
heat is trapped trapped is
earth
and theis I global
and
enough for life.
warm causes
I
warming
I

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Atmospheric

•160O km; Very high

•N„ O„ CO„ H,O

 T h i s is due to the natural presence of carbon dioxide in the

 D u e to this, the purest form of rain reaches the earth as

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