ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSICS

Academic Year 2019/2020 - 1° Year - Curriculum PHYSICS APPLIED TO CULTURAL HERITAGE, ENVIRONMENT AND MEDICINE
Teaching Staff: Giuseppina IMMÈ
Credit Value: 6
Scientific field: FIS/07 - Applied physics
Taught classes: 42 hours
Term / Semester:

Learning Objectives

The course will provide in-depth knowledge on issues related to the various contexts in which the Physics of the Environment is applied. The course plans to give a qualified and specific preparation on the physical processes involved, within an overall vision, in the terrestrial environment, on the phenomena related to the interaction between atmosphere, hydrosphere and solid earth, on the physical impacts that determine their changes and their deterioration also due to pollution in the various sectors.

Knowledge and understanding

The course will provide knowledge on the physical phenomena of interest in the terrestrial environment and will allow the development of understanding capabilities of the physical processes involved in the earth system, in its interaction with the atmosphere, in the physical impacts related to noise pollution and to electromagnetic pollution.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

In the course opportunities will be provided to apply in different contexts what the students learn theoretically, also in order to verify the real understanding of the studied physical processes.

Autonomy of judgment

Ability will be developed to argue autonomously the issues that society raises in the environmental field, linking them to the physical processes under study.

Communication skills

These skills will be facilitated in the occasions of relation between students and with the teacher, who suggests to elaborate, on the various topics, clear and in-depth arguments, in particular on the occasion of the exam.

Learning skills

Solid foundations will be built for further studies in PhDs or second-level masters or specialization schools.


Course Structure

Frontal lectures will be held. The teacher is available for more detailed information and explainations


Detailed Course Content

ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS: Structure, composition and atmospheric parameters. Ionosphere and ozone layer and their environmental relevance. Thermodynamics of the atmosphere. Solar and terrestrial radiation and black body laws. Earth-sun energy balance. Greenhouse effect. Environmental spectroscopy. Atmospheric corrections to GPS signals to study ground deformation. Atmospheric dynamics. Thermic inversions and atmospheric instability. Planetary boundary layer. Wind and turbulence. Transport of pollutants in atmosphere. Dispersion models.

NOISE POLLUTION: elements of acoustics. Fourier analysis. Transmission and reduction of noise.

ELECTROMAGNETIC POLLUTION: E.M. Spectrum. CEM: interactions with biological materials and shielding. Frequency analysis.

ENERGY SUPPLY. Fossil fuel. Nuclear energy and safety. Solar and wind energy. Hydroelectric and gethermal energy.


Textbook Information

Slides will be available