areal

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin āreālis; equivalent to area + -al.

adj

1. Of or pertaining to an area.
   areal interstices — the areas or spaces inclosed by the reticulate vessels of leaves
   Areal density is often used as a technology growth-rate indicator for the hard disk drive industry. Areal density is defined as the product of the linear bits per inch (bpil, measured along the length of the tracks around the disk, multiplied by the number of tracks per inch (tpi), measured radially on the disk (see Figure 9.1). 2004, Scott Mueller, Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, page 307
   It should be clear then, that BMD measurements with DXA are two-dimensional or areal measurements, whereas BMD measurements with QCT are three-dimensional or volumetric. Because DXA measurements are areal, bone size can affect the apparent BMD. 2009, Sydney Lou Bonnick, Bone Densitometry in Clinical Practice: Application and Interpretation, page 157
   The areal sweep efficiency E_A is defined as the fraction of the total flood pattern that is contacted by the displacing fluid. 2010, Tarek Ahmed, Reservoir Engineering Handbook, page 985