The Photochemistry of Atmospheres Joel S. Levine (ed.), Orlando, Academic Press, 1985 518 pp., $79.50,  61.00

Abstract

Atmospheric photochemistry is defined by its practitioners as the study of the interaction of visible, ultra-violet, and radiation from the Sun with the gases in the atmospheres of planets and their satellites, and of comets, throughout the whole history of the Solar System. The subject has developed very rapidly since the early 1960s, partly in response to the opportunities to make close visits to planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, but also as a direct consequence of widespread concern about air pollution, acid rain, and activities that might deplete stratospheric ozone. In an excellent introduction, the editor sets the scene to this useful collection of wellillustrated articles by experts in the field, which constitutes the first book that treats the ‘photochemistry of atmospheres in its entirety’. The main part comprises five articles on the terrestrial atmosphere, covering the photochemistry of early atmospheres (Levine), photochemistry, composition and climate (Kuhn), and the photochemistry of the troposphere (Graedel), stratosphere (Turco), and the upper atmosphere (Torr). These are followed by articles on the atmospheres of Venus (Prinn), Mars (Barth), and the outer planets and their satellites (Strobel), and the book ends with an article on comets (Hueber), appendices on solar photo rate coefficients and various chemical reaction rates, and a subject index. By summarizing present knowledge (and ignorance) and indicating directions for future research, The Photochemistry of Atmosphere provides material of interzst not only to atmospheric chemists but also to other students of the Earth and planetary sciences.