Editing Equivalent air depth (section)

{{short description| Method of comparing decompression requirements for air and a given nitrox mix }}
{{About|calculating decompression using nitrox|calculating narcotic effects using trimix|Equivalent narcotic depth}}

The '''equivalent air depth (EAD)''' is a way of approximating the [[Decompression sickness|decompression]] requirements of [[breathing gas]] mixtures that contain [[nitrogen]] and [[oxygen]] in different proportions to those in air, known as [[nitrox]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Logan |first=JA |title=An evaluation of the equivalent air depth theory |journal=[[United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit]] Technical Report |volume=NEDU-RR-01-61 |date=1961 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3835 |access-date=2008-05-01 |archive-date=2010-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225052913/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3835 |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Berghage Thomas E, McCraken TM |title=Equivalent air depth: fact or fiction |journal=Undersea Biomedical Research |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=379–84 |date=December 1979 |pmid=538866 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/2835 |access-date=2008-05-01 |archive-date=2010-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225073134/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/2835 |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=DAN Nitrox Workshop Proceedings |author=Lang, Michael A. |year=2001 |publisher=[[Divers Alert Network]] |location=Durham, NC |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/4855 |access-date=2008-05-02 |page=197 |archive-date=2011-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916013500/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/4855 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

The equivalent air depth, for a given nitrox mix and depth, is the depth of a dive when breathing air that would have the same [[partial pressure]] of nitrogen. So, for example, a gas mix containing 36% oxygen (EAN36) being used at {{convert|27|m|ft}} has an EAD of {{convert|20|m|ft}}.