What is rapid decompression?

Rapid decompression refers to a sudden marked drop in pressure, commonly experienced in aviation when an aircraft experiences a failure in its cabin pressure system. This event can occur due to a breach in the aircraft's fuselage, resulting in immediate loss of pressurization.

The consequences of rapid decompression can be critical, leading to a variety of physiological effects on the occupants, such as difficulty in breathing and loss of consciousness due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen). It contrasts sharply with slow decreases in pressure, which generally allow the body to acclimate and respond more effectively. Similarly, an increase in cabin pressure would imply a successful pressurization system rather than a failure, and a gradual loss of cabin heat would pertain to temperature changes rather than pressure changes.

Thus, the definition interpreted as a sudden marked drop in pressure aptly encapsulates the phenomenon of rapid decompression in the context of aviation safety and emergency procedures.