Absinkung

Absinkung is a German noun that denotes the act or process of sinking, subsiding, or lowering. It is derived from the verb absinken and is mainly found in technical or scientific contexts. In everyday language, other terms such as Sinken or Absenkung are more common, while Absinkung emphasizes the dynamic process of downward movement.

In geomorphology, geotechnics, and hydrogeology, Absinkung is used to describe ground subsidence or settlement. This can occur naturally through sediment compaction or tectonic adjustments, or anthropogenically through resource extraction, drainage, or heavy loading. Quantitatively, subsidence is often expressed as a rate (for example millimeters per year) and monitored with benchmarks, GPS, or satellite interferometry.

In engineering and construction, Absinkung may refer to the downward displacement of structures or components due to foundations settling, soil consolidation, or load redistribution. It is important in design and risk assessment to distinguish transient deformation from long-term subsidence, and to account for potential differential sinking across a site.

Compared with Absenkung, a more general term for lowering a level, Absinkung tends to highlight the process of sinking itself rather than the final lowered state. In English-language texts, the closest translations are subsidence, sinking, or lowering, depending on the context. See also Absenkung and Sinken for related concepts.