Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Quality Glossary
1997 Version (None of the
links here work.)
The definitions in this glossary were initially generated by the students in a senior level
class studying air quality and atmospheric chemistry at Sam Houston State University during
the spring of 1995 in a course entitled Environmental Science 440/Chemistry 442, AIR QUALITY. In the main,
they wrote these definitions as part of a class requirement. The references found at the end
of most entries are an effort to supply additional resources for each of the terms. No supposition of comprehensiveness or absolute correctness can be assumed in any way. Many of the glossary entries have hypertext links to other sites on the InterNet. These external links were valid in the Spring semester of 1997 and will be updated each year.
Click on a letter to find definitions that begin with that letter.
Here is an example of an entry. There is a link to another site on the InterNet for the entry itself:
Photochemical Smog - Natural and artificially emitted hydrocarbons in the presence of oxides of nitrogen undergo
photochemical reactions which produce a cloud of toxic chemicals including ozone and a variety of caustic agents. This process is powered by sunlight and some of the products, such as ozone, reach a peak soon after photon flux from the sun reaches a maximum around midday. The thermal inversions often associated with some cities can lead to a dangerous buildup of smog in urban areas. Human deaths have been attributed to photochemical smog since the Industrial Revolution in cities such as London and New York. [Science; v.241; p.1473; 1988.] [Atmospheric Environment. Part A, General Topics;
v.26A; p.625; 1992.]
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This Glossary is maintained by Chemistry Department of Sam Houston State University
Copyright
, 1996