We report in this paper the first theoretical treatment of kinetic and equilibrium chemical processes of the atmospheric corrosion of nickel performed with the multiregime GILDES model. The formulation for exposure of nickel to sulfur dioxide in humidified air involves 67 reactions for 35 species and includes a representation of the protective properties of corrosion products. Two protective mechanisms are investigated : transport through the corrosion products of corrosive agents and blocking of the active surface area. The latter appears to dominate. Results for corrosion products and corrosion rate are compared with those for laboratory exposures at 210 ppb SO2, and agreement is excellent.