Environmental Sciences Course

Air Pollution and Climate Change

Dr.-Eng. Hasan Hamouda

Eng. Osama Othman
Outline

Atmosphere and Climate

Climate Change
El Nino -
Human Causes -
Climate and Pollution
Kinds of Pollution -
Sources -
Transport -
Effects of Air Pollution
Air Pollution Control

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 2
ATMOSPHERE AND CLIMATE

Weather - A description of short-term physical

. conditions of the atmosphere
Climate - A description of the long-term weather
. pattern in a particular area

Weather and climate are primary

determinants of biomes and ecosystem
.distribution

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 3
 Troposphere
Troposphere
Ranges in depth from 18 km over the equator to 5 -
. km over the poles
.Air circulates in convection currents -
Air temperature drops rapidly with increasing -
altitude
.Contains 75% of total air mass -
Tropopause: Transition boundary limits mixing
. between the troposphere and upper zones
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 A Layered Envelope

Stratosphere
.Extends from troposphere to about 50 km -
Similar composition to Troposphere, but much more -
. dilute
.Temperature increases with altitude -
Fraction of water vapor is 1000x less and ozone is -
. 1000x more than in the troposphere
Relatively calm -

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 5
 A Layered Envelope

Mesosphere
.Middle Layer-
.Minimum temperature is about - 80o C-
Thermosphere
.Ionized gases and high temperatures -
Ionosphere - Lower Thermosphere -
Aurora borealis (northern lights) -

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 6
Atmospheric Temperature
Changes

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
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Energy & Greenhouse Effect

Solar Radiation
Solar energy not evenly distributed over the -
. globe
:Of solar energy reaching outer atmosphere -
reflected 25%
absorbed 25%
reaches earth’s surface 50%

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 8
 Solar Radiation

.Visible light: passes through atmosphere undiminished

Ultraviolet light: is absorbed by ozone in the
. stratosphere
Infrared radiation: is absorbed by carbon dioxide and
. water in the troposphere
Albedo - Reflectivity -
Fresh clean snow 90% -
Dark soil 3% -
Net average of earth 30% -
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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 9
Solar Radiation

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Eng. Osama Othman 10
Solar Radiation

.Most solar energy reaching the earth is visible light

Energy remitted by the earth is mainly infrared -
. radiation ( heat energy)
Longer wavelengths are absorbed in the -
- lower atmosphere, trapping heat close to
. the earth’s surface
Greenhouse Effect: Increasing atmospheric
CO2 due to human activities appears to be
.causing global warming
University Of Palestine UNI
3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 11
Convection & Atmospheric
Pressure
Water vapor contains a large amount of energy stored -
. as latent heat
Evaporation converts solar energy into latent heat -
. stored in evaporated water
Uneven heating produces pressure differences that -
. cause wind, rain, and storms (weather)
Vertical convection cells circulate air masses between -
. warm and cooler latitudes

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 12
 ? Why Does It Rain

Releasing latent heat causes air to rise, cool, and lose

.more water vapor
Rising, expanding air creates an area of relatively -
high pressure at the top of the convection
. column
Air flows out of high-pressure zone -
towards areas of low-pressure, where
. cool, dry air is subsiding

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 13
 ? Why Does It Rain
Subsiding air is compressed as it approaches the -
earth’s surface where it piles up and creates an area
. of high pressure at the surface
Air flows out of this region back towards low -
. pressure, closing the cycle

If condensation nuclei are present, or if

temperatures are low enough, condensation will
. lead to precipitation

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 14
Convection Currents

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
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Coriolis Effect & Jet Streams

Surface flows do not move straight North and South, -

. but are deflected due to Coriolis Effect
Major zones of subsidence occur at about 30o north -
. and south latitude
Where dry, subsiding air falls on continents, -
.it creates broad, subtropical desert regions

Winds directly under regions of -

subsiding air are often light and variable
Horse latitudes -
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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
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Convection Cells &
Prevailing Winds

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Eng. Osama Othman 17
Jet Streams

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
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Seasonal Winds

Monsoon - Seasonal reversal of wind patterns caused

by differential heating and cooling rates
. of oceans and continents
Most prevalent in tropical countries where large -
land area is cut off from continental air masses
by mountain ranges and surrounded by a large
. volume of water

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 19
Monsoon

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3316 Dr. Hasan Hamouda -
Eng. Osama Othman 20