Studying at York
Atmospheric Chemistry, Climate Change and Net Zero - CHE00041H
- Department: Chemistry
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: H
- Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
Module summary
This module explores the chemistry underpinning the climate emergency and potential routes to get society to Net Zero.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2024-25 |
Module aims
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues for society. This module will explore the chemical, physical and biological bases for the Earth’s weather and climate, and examine how these have changed in the past and the causes of changes over the last century. It will explore how changes in the atmospheric emissions and the carbon cycle have been central to the warming climate and how other atmospheric constituents have impacted climate. Finally, the course explores how chemistry will be at the centre of finding solutions to the climate problem as society attempts to reduce its carbon emissions over the next 30 years.
Module learning outcomes
Students will be able to
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Encounter the major components of the climate system, recognising causes (external forcing), internal interactions and feedbacks, and climate variations (internal responses).
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Differentiate between geochemical proxies including their temporal & geographic resolution
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Evaluate carbon storage, chemical weathering & biogeochemical cycles in regulating Earth’s climate, comparing different hypotheses
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to explain ice-house / hot-house worlds
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Appraise the effect of increasing CO2 on the oceanic system, including on ocean acidification
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Outline the different causes of anthropogenic climate change and the associated feedbacks and processes.
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Illustrate the physical processes that control the structure of the atmosphere
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Discriminate between the chemical processes that control the concentrations of non-CO2 climate gases (O3, CH4) in the troposphere and stratosphere
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Describe the processes controlling the concentration of aerosols in the atmosphere and how they influence climate.
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Articulate routes to achieve NetZero Carbon emissions describing the advantages and disadvantages.
Module content
1) Overview to the module and introduction (MJE) (1 lecture) [1/1]
2) Introduction to the climate system (KPx6, MJEx3) [9/10]
2.1: Fundamentals of climate science and our climate records (KP)
2.2: Carbon in the Earth system: geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere (KP)
2.3: The role of chemistry in climate control and feedback (KP)
2.4: Tectonic-scale climate change: greenhouse gases and chemical weathering (KP)
2.5: Ocean chemistry & climate (KP)
2.6: Orbital-scale climate change: the physical and chemical parameters of our current climate (KP)
2.7: Anthropogenic climate change (MJE)
2.8: Climate models (MJE)
2.9: Future climate and geo-engineering (MJE)
Workshop Climate [2/2] (MJE/KP)
3) Meteorology (ACL) [3/13]
3.1: Pressure profiles - hydrostatic approximation (ACL)
3.2: Temperature profiles - dry adiabatic lapse rate (ACL)
3.3: Atmospheric circulation (ACL)
4) Non-CO2 atmospheric chemistry (MJE, LJC, PME) [9/22]
4.1: Troposphere 1: Ozone production and NOx (MJE)
4.2: Troposphere 2: Radical cycling and VOCs (MJE)
4.3: Troposphere 3: Ozone production (MJE)
4.4: Stratosphere 1: Chapman chemistry, NOx, HOx chemistry and the ozone hole (LJC)
4.5: Stratosphere 2: ClOx and BrOx chemistry, heterogeneous processes and CFCs (LJC)
4.6: Stratosphere 3: Montreal Protocol: Successes and the future (LJC)
4.7: Aerosols 1: Composition (PME)
4.8: Aerosols 2: Nucleation, Coagulation, Condensation and deposition (PME)
4.9 :Aerosols 3: Aerosols and climate (PME)
Workshop: Tropospheric chemistry for continuously assessed activity (2x2 hours) (MJE)
Workshop: Aerosols and climate (1x2 hours) (PME)
5) Getting to NetZero. Technologies and applications (ACL) [4/26]
5.1: Energy use over time production, links to GDP, population (ACL)
5.2: Renewable, nuclear and low carbon fuel (ACL)
5.3: Resources: Critical minerals for batteries, magnets, biofuels, food (ACL)
5.4: Pathways and transition periods (ACL)
Workshop: NetZero (1x2 hours) (ACL)
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 80 |
| Practical | 20 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
The module will be assessed 80% on the exam and 20% by coursework. The coursework will consist of a take home exercise based on the tropospheric chemistry workshops taught by Mat Evans and covers the tropospheric chemistry lectures given by Mat Evans (which will not be assessed in the exam). The coursework will be submitted electronically a couple of weeks after it has been issued to the students.
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 80 |
| Practical | 20 |
Module feedback
Feedback on the exam component will be given through the usual departmental routes. Feedback on the continuously assessed component will be given within 5 weeks of submission and will consist of detailed individual feedback.
Indicative reading
Marshak, S. (2015) Earth: Portrait of a Planet. 5th edition. Norton & Co
Earth’s Climate: Past and Future: William F. Ruddiman, W. H. Freeman
Reconstructing Quaternary Environments: John J. Lowe & Mike J.C. Walker, Longman
Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry, by Daniel J. Jacob, Princeton University Press, 1999
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: From Air Pollution to Climate Change by John H. Seinfeld and Spyros N. Pandis, Wiley, 2016
Atmospheric Chemistry, Ann Holloway and Richard Wayne, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2010
Analytical Techniques for Atmospheric Measurement, Dwayne Heard, Blackwell publishing, 2008