ABSTRACT
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. 122
References .......................................................................................................................... 122
Surfaces and interfaces are ubiquitous in the environment. They range from liquid or solid
atmospheric particulate matter commonly found in both the lower and upper atmosphere to
mineral oxides buried under an aqueous phase in soil environments. Recently, naturally
occurring systems involving such interfaces have received much attention [1-8] as they can:
(1) alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere, soils, and oceans via chemical trans-
formation reactions; (2) change the chemical behavior of condensed phase surfaces; (3)
change the physical behavior of the condensed phase surfaces on which the heterogeneous
processes occur; and (4) change the optical properties of aerosols and thereby influence the
radiative balance of the atmosphere. Through these four roles, surfaces and interfaces can
have profound implications for chemical transport, reactivity, and energy budgets in soil and
atmospheric environments.
