Bill,
The *composition* of the leaking crude oil is most critical for the cleanup. What *mass* fraction or percentage of each constituent (solid, liquid, or gas) is to be ignored (evaporated) or cleaned up? How much sand, tar, benzene, propane, ... , methane is in the leaking crude oil? The volume of the crude oil is only a first estimate of the problem. Gene. ---- Original message ---- >Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:31:26 -0400 >From: Bill Hooper <[email protected]> >Subject: [USMA:47786] Re: Fw: Re: Oil Spill Technical Team Using SI >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > On Jun 11 , at 10:42 AM, <[email protected]> > <[email protected]> wrote: > > But I want to hear the estimates in *mass* units, > kilograms and kg/s,... > Bill asked: Why? and claimed that; > To most of us who care about the effects of the oil > spill on our environment here in Florida and other > Gulf states, the volume of the oil is of much > greater interest than its mass. The volume relates > to how much of the Gulf (and later the Atlantic) > will be covered with oil and the resulting threat to > our shores, beaches and coastal marshes. > Admittedly, the spilled oil degrades and decomposes > some, ..., some of the more volatile components > evaporate into the air..., the amount of the spillage, as > measured by > its volume, is the most critical way to >visualize than amount...
