ablatsioon

Ablation is the process by which material is removed from a surface or region, typically through erosion, vaporization, or dissolution, as a result of heat, chemical reactions, or mechanical forces. The term is used across disciplines to describe deliberate removal for therapeutic, analytical, or protective purposes.

In medicine, ablation refers to destroying tissue to treat disease. Methods include catheter-based energy delivery for cardiac arrhythmias (radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation) and percutaneous or surgical ablation of tumors (radiofrequency, microwave, cryoablation, laser ablation). Procedures aim to selectively affect target tissue while minimizing damage to surrounding structures. Common risks include bleeding, infection, and injury to nearby organs or nerves.

In geology and glaciology, ablation describes the loss of ice or snow from a glacier or ice sheet due to melting, sublimation, or calving. Ablation is influenced by climate, altitude, slope, and exposure to sunlight, and it is contrasted with accumulation, the gain of ice.

In industry and research, laser ablation uses intense laser pulses to remove material from solids, enabling microfabrication, surface structuring, and analytical techniques such as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Ablation also refers to protective heat shields on spacecraft, which are designed to erode in a controlled manner to dissipate extreme heat during atmospheric re-entry.

Overall, ablation encompasses diverse methods and applications, united by the core idea of material removal driven by energy input or inherent natural processes.