Decompressions

Decompressions refer to the process of reducing the pressure surrounding a system. In physics and engineering, decompression occurs when a substance or structure transitions from a high-pressure state to a lower-pressure one. Gases dissolved under pressure may come out of solution as pressure falls, and bubbles can form in liquids or materials that trap gas. Practical contexts include relief of pressure in vessels and pipelines, depressurization of habitats and compartments, and the handling of compressed gases. The term also appears in computing, where data that has been compressed by an algorithm is expanded back to its original form, a process commonly called decompression.

Decompression is particularly significant in activities that operate under pressure, such as scuba diving and aviation. If ascent is too rapid, inert gas such as nitrogen can form bubbles in tissues and blood, causing decompression sickness. Risk depends on depth, time, ascent rate, and individual physiology. Decompression procedures use staged ascents, dive tables, or depth‑time computer models to limit bubble formation. Treatment for decompression sickness usually involves hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which reduces bubble size and improves tissue oxygenation, alongside supportive care.

In computing and data management, decompression is the process of restoring data from a compressed representation. Lossless decompression reconstructs exact original data from formats such as ZIP or PNG, while lossy decompression yields approximate reconstructions for formats such as JPEG or MP3. Decompression efficiency affects performance in software, streaming, and storage systems and may rely on specialized algorithms and hardware.