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| SPAT0048-2 | Physics of the earth's atmosphere and environment
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| Duration : | 30h Th, 30h Pr |
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| Credits/ECTS : |
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| Holder(s) : | Jean‑Claude Gérard |
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| Language : | French language |
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| Course contents : | The course is divided into seven chapters:
- introduction : hydrostatic equilibrium, thermal structure, interplanetary space.
- Sun-atmosphere interactions: solar radiation, variability, radiative transfer, climate and pleoclimate
- Tropospheric chemistry: basic concepts of photochemistry, ozone, HOx, NOx, ClOx, catalytic cycles, tropospheric chemistry
- Transport: general equations, diffusion, circulation, thermal escape
- The ionosphere: formation and composition
- Description and origin of the geomagnetic field, charged particles motion in the geomagnetic field, magnetosphere, polar aurora, radiation belts
- biogeochemical cycles, application to the carbon global cycle, CO2 levels and climatic changes
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| Course objective : | Introduction to general concepts of external geophysics: knowledge of basic atmospheric physics and applications to environmental problems. Introduction to the description of the Earth's magnetic environment and to the concept of biogeochemical cycle modelling. |
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| Prerequisites : | Classic notions in general physics, atomic and molecular physics and classical mechanics |
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| Workshops : | - Guided applications: solution of problems
- Videos on selected topics |
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| Organization : | Theoretical course: 15 ex-cathedra lectures (2 hours each).
Practical training and exercises:
- sets of lecture illustrations (video cassettes commented to the students).
- sets of exercise and problem solving illustrating the main concepts. |
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| Written notes : | A 165 page textbook
References :
- G. Kockarts : aéronomie, coll. Bibliothèque des universités
- J. Chamberlain and D. Hunten, Theory of Planetary atmospheres, international geophysics series, academic press
- G.P. Brasseur, J.J. Orlando and G.S.Tyndall, atmospheric chemistry and global change, Oxford university press,
and review papers circulated among students |
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| Assessment : | - oral examination
- written examination: resolution of problems |
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| Contacts : | J.C. Gérard and the instructor in charge of exercises
Laboratoire de Physique Atmosphérique et Planétaire - Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique - Bât. B5C
17, allée du 6 Août - 4000 Liège (Sart Tilman) - Phone : 04/366.97.75 / E-mail : JC.Gerard@ulg.ac.be |
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