The Atmospheric Environment

Effects of Human Activity

Michael B. Mcelroy

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN:
  9780691006918
• eBook ISBN:
  9780691234663
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Geology & Earth Sciences

This comprehensive introduction to the physics and chemistry of Earth's atmosphere explains the science behind some of the most critical and intensely debated environmental controversies of our day. In it, one of the world's leading experts on planetary environments presents the background necessary to assess the complex effects of human activity on our atmosphere and climate.


Unique in its breadth and depth of coverage, The Atmospheric Environment includes a survey of Earth's climatic history to provide a context for assessing the changes underway today. It is written for--and will be of lasting value to--a varied audience, including not only students but also professional scientists and others seeking a sophisticated but readable introduction to the frontiers of contemporary research on biogeochemistry, depletion of stratospheric ozone, tropospheric air pollution, and climatology.


The book covers both the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere with an account of relevant aspects of ocean science, treats atmospheric science and the climate as an integrated whole, and makes explicit the policy implications of what is known. Its critical account of steps taken by the international community to address the issue of climatic change highlights the challenge of dealing with a global issue for which the political and economic stakes are high, where uncertainties are common, and where there is an urgent need for clear thinking and informed policy. The book also sketches key gaps in our knowledge, outlining where we need to go to fully understand the impact of our actions on the climate.


Thorough, timely, and authoritative, this is the book to consult for answers about some of the thorniest and most pressing environmental questions that we face.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Preface
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Basic Physical Concepts
• 3. Basic Chemical Concepts
• 4. Properties of Water
• 5. Atmospheric History and Composition
• 6. Energy Budget of the Atmosphere
• 7. Vertical Structure of the Atmosphere
• 8. Horizontal Motion of the Atmosphere
• 9. Dynamics of the Ocean
• 10. Climate through the Ages
• 11. The Carbon Cycle
• 12. Cycles of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur
• 13. Stratospheric Ozone (I): Chapman’s Formulation for the Chemistry of an Oxygen-Nitrogen Atmosphere
• 14. Stratospheric Ozone (II): The Role of Radicals
• 15. Stratospheric Ozone (III): Influence of Heterogeneous Chemistry
• 16. Stratospheric Ozone (IV): Influence of Dynamics
• 17. The Chemistry of the Troposphere
• 18. The Chemistry of Precipitation
• 19. Prospects for Climate Change
• 20. Policy Responses to Climate Change
• Notes
• References
• Appendix
• Index