Ablation zone

The ablation zone is found at the lowest altitude of the glacier, where ablation of material is lesser than accumulation.

Ablation zoneorablation arearefers to the low-altitude area of aglacierorice sheetbelowfirnwith a net loss in ice mass due tomelting,sublimation,evaporation,ice calving,aeolian processeslikeblowing snow,avalanche,and any otherablation.The equilibrium line altitude (ELA) orsnow lineseparates the ablation zone from the higher-altitudeaccumulation zone.The ablation zone often containsmeltwaterfeatures such assupraglacial lakes,englacial streams, andsubglacial lakes.Sediments dropped in the ablation zone forming small mounds or hillocks are called kames. Kame and kettle hole topography is useful in identifying an ablation zone of a glacier. The seasonally melting glacier deposits much sediment at its fringes in the ablation area. Ablation constitutes a key part of theglacier mass balance.

The amount of snow and ice gained in the accumulation zone and the amount of snow and ice lost in the ablation zone determine glacier mass balance. Often mass balance measurements are made in the ablation zone using snow stakes.

References

• Summerfield, M. A., (1991)Global GeomorphologyLongman.
• Dolgoff, A., (1996)Physical GeologyHeath

External links

• Diagram with zone of ablation