Geographers

The battery limit is a geographic boundary which deflnes the manufacturing area of the process. This includes process equipment and buildings or structures to house it but excludes boilerhouse facilities, pollution control, site infrastructure, etc. 

From complex cuts characterized in an overall manner, there is a transition towards mixtures containing only a limited number of hydrocarbon families or even compounds. This development has only just begun. It affects for the moment only certain products and certain geographical zones. It is leading gradually to a different view of both refining and the characterization of petroleum products. 

Per barrel costs (costs per barrel of development production) are useful when production is the constraint on a project, or when making technical comparisons between projects in the same geographical area. 

Within the same geographical area (e.g. water depth, weather conditions, distance to shore, reservoir setting) this is a useful tool for comparing projects of different sizes. If the indicators vary significantly then the reasons should be sought. 

Quite obviously, the geographer solves this logical difficulty by arbitrarily deciding that he will not consider irregularities smaller than some specified size. A similar and equally arbitrary choice is frequently made in the estimation of surface areas. The minimum size of irregularities to be considered may be... 

Atmospheric corrosion results from a metal s ambient-temperature reaction, with the earth s atmosphere as the corrosive environment. Atmospheric corrosion is electrochemical in nature, but differs from corrosion in aqueous solutions in that the electrochemical reactions occur under very thin layers of electrolyte on the metal surface. This influences the amount of oxygen present on the metal surface, since diffusion of oxygen from the atmosphere/electrolyte solution interface to the solution/metal interface is rapid. Atmospheric corrosion rates of metals are strongly influenced by moisture, temperature and presence of contaminants (e.g., NaCl, SO2,. ..). Hence, significantly different resistances to atmospheric corrosion are observed depending on the geographical location, whether mral, urban or marine. 

A geographical analogy can be a helpful way to illustrate many of the concepts we shall encounter in this chapter. In this analogy minimum points correspond to the bottom of valleys. A minimum may be described as being in a long and narrow valley or a flat and featureless plain. Saddle points correspond to mountain passes. We refer to algorithms taking steps uphill or downhill. ... 

Some scales have a software feature whereby a certain geographical region is identified on initial configuration, and the software then makes the appropriate correction. Some high performance balances have built-in test weights for initial (and periodic) calibration. 

Secondary and Micronutrients in Fertilizers The great majority of farm fertilizers are produced, marketed, and appHed with regard only to the primary plant nutrient content. The natural supply of secondary and micronutrients in the majority of soils is usually sufficient for optimum growth of most principal crops. There are, however, many identified geographical areas and crop—soil combinations for which soil appHcation of secondary and/or micronutrient sources is beneficial or even essential. The fertilizer industry accepts the responsibiHty for providing these secondary and micronutrients, most often as an additive or adjunct to primary nutrient fertilizers. However, the source chemicals used to provide the secondary and micronutrient elements are usually procured from outside the fertilizer industry, for example from mineral processors. The responsibiHties of the fertilizer producer include procurement of an acceptable source material and incorporation in a manner that does not decrease the chemical or physical acceptabiHty of the fertilizer product and provides uniform appHcation of the added elements on the field. 

Trace-element analysis of metals can give indications of the geographic provenance of the material. Both emission spectroscopy (84) and activation analysis (85) have been used for this purpose. Another tool in provenance studies is the measurement of relative abundances of the lead isotopes (86,87). This technique is not restricted to metals, but can be used on any material that contains lead. Finally, for an object cast around a ceramic core, a sample of the core material can be used for thermoluminescence dating. 

Trace-element analysis, using emission spectroscopy (107) and, especially, activation analysis (108) has been appHed in provenance studies on archaeological ceramics with revolutionary results. The attribution of a certain geographic origin for the clay of an object excavated elsewhere has a direct implication on past trade and exchange relationships. 

The decrease in petroleum and natural gas reserves has encouraged interest in and discovery and development of unconventional sources of these hydrocarbons. Principal alternatives to conventional petroleum reserves include oil shale (qv) and tar sands (qv). Oil shale reserves in the United States are estimated at 20,000 EJ (19.4 x 10 Btu) and estimates of tar sands and oil sands reserves are on the order of 11 EJ (10 x 10 Btu) (see Tarsands Shale oil). Of particular interest are the McKittrick, EeUows, and Taft quadrangles of Cahfomia, the Asphalt Ridge area of Utah, the Asphalt, Kentucky area, and related geographic regions. 

The 1990 production levels and corresponding countries are also Hsted in Table 1 as are exports and imports of natural gas. Geographic consumption trends are shown in Figure 1. 

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