Ablation zone
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On a glacier, the zone of ablation occurs where summer loss of snow through melting, evaporation, and sublimation exceeds winter accumulation on a surface. A zone of ablation can be identified in the summer by an expanse of bare ice or firn. The annual equilibrium line separates the accumulation and ablation zone annually. In the ablation zone lateral moraines can be formed and supraglacials streams can form.
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If the amount of meltwater in the ablation zone exceeds the amount of accumulation of snow in the accumulation zone the glacier will retreat
