NextPrevious

Weather Fundamentals

Terms to Know

What is atmospheric chemistry

As the name implies, this is the discipline dealing with how gases and other chemicals and particulates in the atmosphere interact with each other, such as with the formation and destruction of ozone, both in the upper atmosphere and as a ground-dwelling pollutant. Atmospheric chemistry is a very complex science, as the composition of the atmosphere is in constant flux. Content is constantly being introduced from the ground; winds continually shift and flow; and radiation from space interacts with the atmosphere as well. Meteorologists specializing in this field have to understand geology, biology, and industrial pollutants (literally, millions of different industrial chemicals entering the atmosphere daily), among other chemical processes. There is considerable work to be done in atmospheric chemistry, as much of what happens in the atmosphere at a chemical level is little understood.