Ablation

Ablation is the process of removal or destruction of material from a surface. It can occur through melting, vaporization, sublimation, erosion, or chemical reaction. The term derives from Latin ablat- meaning carried away, and in many fields it denotes controlled removal of material.

In medicine, ablation refers to destroying abnormal tissue for therapeutic purposes. Techniques include radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, laser ablation, cryoablation (freezing), and chemical ablation using agents such as ethanol. Medical ablation is used to treat tumors in the liver, kidney, lung, and other organs, to destroy arrhythmogenic heart tissue in atrial fibrillation, and for endometrial ablation to reduce menstrual bleeding.

In glaciology and climatology, ablation is the loss of ice or snow from a glacier or snowpack due to melting, sublimation, or calving. The ablation zone contrasts with the accumulation zone; the balance between ablation and accumulation determines glacier mass change and response to climate.

In materials science, ablative materials are designed to erode away in a controlled fashion to absorb heat, notably for spacecraft heat shields during atmospheric reentry. Ablation can refer to both the process of material removal and the technique of removing material from surfaces using laser or chemical means in manufacturing.