What phenomenon describes the settling of blood due to gravity after death?

The phenomenon that describes the settling of blood due to gravity after death is known as lividity. After a person dies, the blood begins to pool in the lower parts of the body because of gravity, leading to a discoloration called postmortem lividity or hypostasis. This process typically starts within 20 minutes to a couple of hours after death and can help forensic investigators determine the position of the body at the time of death, as well as the time of death itself based on the lividity pattern.

Rigor mortis refers to the stiffening of the muscles post-death due to chemical changes within the muscles. Algor mortis refers to the cooling of the body after death, and putrefaction involves the decomposition of the body due to bacteria and other microorganisms. Each of these phenomena relates to different postmortem changes, but lividity specifically pertains to blood settling and is significant in forensic contexts for establishing vital details about a death scene.