"Atmospheric Chemistry: Cause and Effect" is an article written by F. Sherwood Rowland that originally appeared in the January 1, 1994 issue of the "Marine Technology Society Journal." The article discusses the changes in the atmosphere's composition and the possible resulting changes in the climate, and is available only in PDF format. The High Plains Regional Technology in Education Consortium provides the article online as part of the Explorer, a collection of educational resources concerned with math and science education.

Our world is changing at an accelerating rate. The global human population has grown from 6.1 billion to 7.1 billion in the last 15 years and is projected to reach 11.2 billion by the end of the century. The distribution of humans across the globe has also shifted, with more than 50 percent of the global population now living in urban areas, compared to 29 percent in 1950. Along with these trends, increasing energy demands, expanding industrial activities, and intensification of agricultural activities worldwide have in turn led to changes in emissions that have altered the composition of the atmosphere. These changes have led to major challenges for society, including deleterious impacts on climate, human and ecosystem health. Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing society today. Air pollution is a major threat to human health, as one out of eight deaths globally is caused by air pollution. And, future food production and global food security are vulnerable to both global change and air pollution. Atmospheric chemistry research is a key part of understanding and responding to these challenges. The Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research: Remembering Yesterday, Understanding Today, Anticipating Tomorrow summarizes the rationale and need for supporting a comprehensive U.S. research program in atmospheric chemistry; comments on the broad trends in laboratory, field, satellite, and modeling studies of atmospheric chemistry; determines the priority areas of research for advancing the basic science of atmospheric chemistry; and identifies the highest priority needs for improvements in the research infrastructure to address those priority research topics. This report describes the scientific advances over the past decade in six core areas of atmospheric chemistry: emissions, chemical transformation, oxidants, atmospheric dynamics and circulation, aerosol particles and clouds, and biogeochemical cycles and deposition. This material was developed for the NSF's Atmospheric Chemistry Program; however, the findings will be of interest to other agencies and programs that support atmospheric chemistry research.

This book covers the proceedings of a study week held to bring together the most varied experiences in the many disciplines which form the background of ecology. The purpose of the meeting was to examine the present state of knowledge and the need for research in order to gather the information necessary for action to protect the environment and biosphere. Many aspects of the anthropogenic effects on the atmosphere have been studied. However more research is needed to quantify the impact of the various chemicals on the changes occurring in the atmosphere. Acid rain formation mechanisms, although investigated, are not yet fully understood. It is thus necessary to program carefully our future, after further interdisciplinary research, in order to avoid irreversible damage to our environment.The guidelines of this action, as a result of the presentations and discussions, are reported in the conclusions. The main points stressed are: tropospheric chemistry, the problem of the conservation of the ozone layer, the growth of carbon dioxide and climate changes, atmospheric acidity, the effects of changes on water, soils and biota as well as the particular problems of the tropical world. The book will be ideal for postgraduates studying atmospheric chemistry and for environmental protection agencies.

Atmospheric Chemistry provides readers with a basic knowledge of the chemistry of 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 (troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere) is described in terms of the physical and chemical cycles that govern the behaviour of the major and the many minor species present, and of 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. One thread of the book explains how living organisms alter the composition and pressures in the atmosphere, modify temperatures, and change the intensity and wavelength-distribution of light arriving from the Sun. Meanwhile, the living organisms on Earth have depended on these very same environmental conditions being satisfactory for the maintenance and evolution of life. There thus appear to be two-way interactions between life and the atmosphere. Man, just one species of living organism, has developed an unfortunate ability to interfere with the feedbacks that seem to have maintained the atmosphere to be supportive of surface life for more than 3.5 billion years. This book will help chemists to understand the background to the problems that arise from such interference. The structure of the book and the development of the subject deviate somewhat from those usually encountered. Important and recurring concepts are presented in outline first, before more detailed discussions of the atmospheric behaviour of specific chemical species. Examples of such themes are the sources and sinks of trace gases, and their budgets and lifetimes. That is, the emphasis is initially on the principles of the subject, with the finer points emerging at later points in the book, sometimes in several successive chapters. In this way, some of the core material gets repeated exposure, but in new ways and in new contexts. The book is written at a level that makes it accessible to undergraduate chemists, and in a manner that should make it interesting to them. However, the material presented forms a solid base for those who are extending their studies to a higher level, and it will also provide non-specialists with the background to an understanding of Man's several and varied threats to the atmosphere. Well-informed citizens can then better assess measures proposed to prevent or alleviate the potential damage, and policy makers more realistically formulate the necessary controls on a sound scientific foundation.

Presents recommendations from recognized world leaders in environmental research and policy. Valuable reading for environmental scientists, environmental and public policy-makers, and members of the general public with an interest in environmental matters. Contains the perspectives and recommendations from the 1991 conference, Presents Chemical Research Applied to World Needs. Presents viewpoints from science and industry, as well as developing countries. Addresses the problem of maintaining human progress within acceptable costs.

Expanded and updated with new findings and new features New chapter on Global Climate providing a self-contained treatment of climate forcing, feedbacks, and climate sensitivity New chapter on Atmospheric Organic Aerosols and new treatment of the statistical method of Positive Matrix Factorization Updated treatments of physical meteorology, atmospheric nucleation, aerosol-cloud relationships, chemistry of biogenic hydrocarbons Each topic developed from the fundamental science to the point of application to real-world problems New problems at an introductory level to aid in classroom teaching

TO THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION Edited by B. M. McCORMAC Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif. , U. S. A. D. REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY DORDRECHT-HOLLAND Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 70-170340 ISBN-13: 978-90-277-0243-2 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-010-3137-0 DOl: 10. 1007/978-94-010-3137-0 All Rights Reserved Copyright © 1971 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1971 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher PREFACE The Editor undertook the preparation of this book for two reasons. The first was to fulfill the need for an introductory level book combining the multidisciplinary aspects of atmospheric pollution. This book does cover most of the key facets: sources and sinks of atmospheric pollutants, atmospheric chemistry, transport and meteorology, effects on human beings and vegetation, and surveillance of air quality. The length of the book was purposely limited so that the cost would be within the means of most interested users. The second reason for preparing this book was stimulated by my mother-in-law, Mrs Clayton D. Root, Councilwoman and member of the Planning Commission of Crown Point, Indiana, who pointed out that all governmental levels must make decisions affecting the atmospheric quality of their regions of responsibility and yet have little information on atmospheric pollution for their assistance. For the most part the achievement of air quality standards is a local problem and every locality is unique.