ABSTRACT
The process of wastage of snow or ice by melting, wind erosion and loss into a body of water (calving). The terms ablation area and ablation zone refer to that part of a glacier surface, usually at lower elevations, over which ablation exceeds accumulation (Figure A.1a). The ablation season is that period of the year when there is net loss of ice from a glacier. In most regions, the ablation season coincides with the summer months (Figure A.1b), but special cases are where ablation and accumulation occur at the same time, or when ablation occurs all year round. Where accumulation occurs down to sea level, as in many parts of Antarctica, ablation is dominated by calving. (a) Schematic longitudinal section through a cirque or valley glacier illustrating accumulation and ablation areas in the context of glacier flow. (b) An ice cap on Vega Island, NE Antarctic Peninsula, undergoing heavy melting above volcanic cliffs (February 2010). Most glaciers in this region are undergoing rapid recession in response to regional warming. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315373157/95d5ad9e-a71d-4f11-a609-2c025b95638b/content/figa_1.jpg"/> https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315373157/95d5ad9e-a71d-4f11-a609-2c025b95638b/content/figa_1a.jpg"/>
