Accumulation zone
Encyclopedia
On a glacier
, the accumulation zone is the area above the firn
line, where snowfall accumulates and exceeds the losses from ablation
, (melting
, evaporation
, and sublimation). The annual Glacier equilibrium line separates the accumulation and ablation zone
annually. The accumulation zone is also defined as the part of a glacier’s surface, usually at higher elevations, on which there is net accumulation of snow, which subsequently turns into firn and then glacier ice.
Part of the glacier where snow builds up and turns to ice moves outward from there.
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
, the accumulation zone is the area above the firn
Firn
Firn is partially-compacted névé, a type of snow that has been left over from past seasons and has been recrystallized into a substance denser than névé. It is ice that is at an intermediate stage between snow and glacial ice...
line, where snowfall accumulates and exceeds the losses from ablation
Ablation
Ablation is removal of material from the surface of an object by vaporization, chipping, or other erosive processes. This occurs in spaceflight during ascent and atmospheric reentry, glaciology, medicine, and passive fire protection.-Spaceflight:...
, (melting
Melting
Melting, or fusion, is a physical process that results in the phase change of a substance from a solid to a liquid. The internal energy of a substance is increased, typically by the application of heat or pressure, resulting in a rise of its temperature to the melting point, at which the rigid...
, evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
, and sublimation). The annual Glacier equilibrium line separates the accumulation and ablation zone
Ablation zone
Ablation zone refers to the low altitude area of a glacier or ice sheet where there is a net loss in ice mass due to melting, sublimation, evaporation, or calving. The ablation zone is delineated by the equilibrium line altitude , or snow line, which separates the ablation zone and the high...
annually. The accumulation zone is also defined as the part of a glacier’s surface, usually at higher elevations, on which there is net accumulation of snow, which subsequently turns into firn and then glacier ice.
Part of the glacier where snow builds up and turns to ice moves outward from there.