ablate

Ablate is a verb meaning to remove material from a surface by vaporization, chipping, or other erosive action. Ablation, the corresponding noun, refers to the process or the material that has been removed. The word comes from the Latin ablat-, “taken away.”

In materials science and engineering, ablation describes the removal of material by energy input. Laser ablation uses a focused light beam to vaporize or eject material, enabling micromachining, surface texturing, and thin-film deposition. Other forms include plasma and chemical or mechanical ablation. In spacecraft engineering, ablative heat shields rely on materials that erode in a controlled way to absorb heat during atmospheric reentry, protecting underlying structure.

In medicine, ablation refers to destroying or removing tissue to treat disease. Techniques include radiofrequency, microwave, laser, ultrasound (high-intensity focused), cryoablation, and chemical ablation. Medical ablation is used for tumor therapy, arrhythmia treatment, and various minimally invasive procedures in dermatology and gynecology.

In glaciology and earth science, ablation denotes the net loss of ice or snow from a glacier, ice sheet, or snowpack due to melting, sublimation, or calving. The region where ablation exceeds accumulation is called the ablation zone, and its size varies with climate, altitude, and exposure.

Overall, ablation encompasses several distinct but related concepts: the removal of material by energetic processes, medical tissue destruction, and the environmental loss of ice, each defined by its specific context.