Ablation, as a physical phenomenon, refers to the progressive removal of material from a surface through processes such as vaporization, sublimation, melting, or mechanical erosion driven by an external energy or mass flux. It is characterized by the conversion of incident energy (thermal, radiative, or kinetic) into phase change and material loss, often accompanied by the formation of boundary layers, receding interfaces, and evolving surface morphology. In scientific contexts, ablation is quantitatively described by mass loss rates, energy balance equations, and material response functions, and is critical in modeling high-enthalpy flows, laser–matter interactions, and other environments with extreme heat or particle loads.
For nearly a decade, Leigh Stearns and collaborators aimed a laser scanner system at Greenland's Helheim Glacier. Their long-running survey reveals that Helheim's massive calving events don't behave the way scientists once ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 5, 2025
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A study published in Geophysical Research Letters reveals that glaciers in western Canada, the United States, and Switzerland lost around 12% of their ice between 2021 and 2024.
Earth Sciences
Jun 25, 2025
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All 19 of the world's glacier regions experienced a net loss of mass in 2024 for the third consecutive year, the United Nations said Friday, warning that saving the planet's glaciers was now a matter of "survival."
Environment
Mar 21, 2025
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