Oberflächenstelle

Oberflächenstelle is a German compound noun formed from Oberfläche (surface) and Stelle (place or position). The term denotes a specific location on a surface that serves as a reference point or site of interaction. Because German technical vocabulary often adapts terms to context, the precise meaning of Oberflächenstelle varies by discipline, and it is not a single universal concept.

In geodesy, cartography and related fields, a Oberflächenstelle refers to a defined point on the Earth's surface that anchors measurements and observations. Such points are usually recorded with geographic coordinates and, when relevant, elevation or height datum. They function as control points in surveying networks, aiding accuracy and consistency across maps and spatial data.

In materials science and surface physics, the term can describe a particular site on a material or sample surface where experiments, measurements or analyses are performed. Examples include selecting a specific surface location for contact-angle measurements, for surface spectroscopy, or for scanning probe microscopy. The exact designation depends on the experimental design and the property under study.

In linguistics, some German-language sources use Oberflächenstelle to refer to a position on the surface structure of a sentence, as opposed to a deeper or abstract level of representation. Here it denotes where a linguistic element is realized on the surface, rather than where it is interpreted or generated in deeper structures.

See also: Oberflächenstruktur, Tiefenstruktur, Oberflächenmessstelle. The term is domain-specific, and readers should consult field-specific sources for precise definitions.