Atmospheric Chemistry

Man's local activities can have a global impact, possibly irreversible, on the atmosphere which has raised awareness of the importance of the current hot topic - atmospheric chemistry. This book provides undergraduate readers with a basic knowledge of the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and an understanding of the role that chemical transformations play in this vital part of our environment. The composition of the 'natural' atmosphere are described in terms of the physical and chemical cycles that govern the behaviour of the major and the many minor species present and consider the atmospheric lifetimes of those species. An extension of these ideas leads to a discussion of the impacts of Man's activities on the atmosphere, and to an understanding of some of the most important environmental 'issues' of our time.