AIR QUALITY

GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENTA
L ISSUES

The atmosphere of Earth; Ocean currents

 Upwellings are caused by winds pushing surface waters away

from a shoreline. Deep waters rise to replace the moved away
waters. Upwelling bring nutrients, especially phosphorus, form the
deep sediments, that become available to photosynthetic algae.
Upwelling regions are highly productive.

 El Nio (Spanish, Christ child) refers to the failing of the

upwellings of Peru and it has large-scale climatic effects.

Astronomy cycles

Obliquity cycle:
41,000 years

Eccentricity cycle:
100,000 years

Precession cycle:
23,000 years

Solar Radiation and Earth Atmosphere

GREENHOUSE GASES

Methane, CH4

3.5 billion years

ago, there was
1,000 times more
CH4.
Earliest CH4
formed by
volcanoes and
ancient bacteria
that converted H2
and CO2 into CH4
and H2O

60% relates to anthropogenic activities (agriculture, fossil fuel,

waste disposal)
Bacterial fermentation under anaerobic conditions in swamps,
marshes, rice paddies, landfills, digestive trucks

Nitrous Oxide,

N2O
Globally N2O increased
10% since 1880;
0.2-0.3% per year
In stratosphere, it helps
destroy ozone
Sources:
- Coal burning
- Forest fires
- Bacterial activity

Halocarbons,
CFCs
Sources:
Refrigeration and air
conditioning
Aerosols
Blowing agent in plastic
foams
Solvent for cleaning
electronic parts
Some fire extinguishers

Ozone, O3

Ozone: 10% in troposphere and 90% in stratosphere

Lifespan: hours to days
Sources: Photochemical chemistry & industrial
processes.

Extreme conditions: very low temperature inside

the vortex ~-80C; the vortex lasts for a few
months during Antarctic winter period.

FORMATION AND DISSOCIATION OF OZONE IN

ATMOSPHERE:
O + O2 + M O3 + M
O3 + hv O2 + O
------------------------------X + O3 XO + O2
XO + O X + O2
-----------------------------O + O3 2 O2
X=Cl, Br, H, OH, NO