#glacier

• Ablation — A non-medical process of removal, reduction, or melting of material from the surface of a solid body through mechanical, thermal, or climatic actions. In glaciology, it represents the total loss of ice or snow from a glacier through melting, evaporation, or sublimation; in astronomy and aeronautics, it denotes the erosion of the protective layer of a meteorite or spacecraft entering the atmosphere due to intense thermal friction.
• Icefield — A technical neologism and geographical term borrowed from the English language (icefield), used in glaciology to denote a massive ice field or a vast, continuous expanse of interconnected glaciers covering a mountainous area or a high plateau. Structurally, this glacial mass accumulated over millennia is topographically bounded by mountain ridges piercing through it as nunataks, functioning as a vital hydrological reserve and as an extremely sensitive microscopic indicator in monitoring global climate changes.
• Alaska — The largest state by area in the United States of America, located at the northwestern extremity of the North American continent, separated from the rest of the country by Canada; a region of major strategic and ecological importance, historically purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867. This structural territory is renowned for its spectacular mountainous relief, massive glaciers, rich natural resources in oil and gas, and unique arctic biodiversity, officially integrated as the 49th US state in 1959.
• Alatau — A generic geographical name of Turkic origin attributed to several branched mountain ranges and massifs within the Tian Shan, Altai, and southern Siberian or Central Asian regions (such as the Dzungarian Alatau, Trans-Ili Alatau, or Kuznetsk Alatau); a large structural mountainous relief characterized by high ridges, alpine glaciers, and deep valleys. These massifs play a crucial climatic and hydrological role within the transboundary river basins of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, and the Russian Federation.
• Aletsch Glacier — The largest glacier in the Alps, located in southern Switzerland, in the canton of Valais (Jungfrau-Aletsch region). Measuring approximately 23 kilometers in length and covering a massive surface area, this valley glacier is a major tourist attraction and a vital study site for global climate change, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Antisana — A massive active stratovolcano located in the Andes of Ecuador, standing at an elevation of 5,758 meters above sea level. Situated approximately 50 kilometers southeast of the capital city Quito, the mountain is covered by an imposing glacier and belongs to a protected ecological reserve renowned for its montane biodiversity, thermal springs, and alpine lakes, serving as a prominent target for mountaineering expeditions and volcanological studies.
• Argentino — A geographical proper name attached to major landmarks in South America, most famously Lake Argentino (Lago Argentino), located in the Santa Cruz Province of Patagonia, Argentina. It represents the largest lake located entirely within the country's territory, featuring a surface area of approximately 1415 square kilometers and a maximum structural depth of over 500 meters, globally renowned because its cold, milky-blue waters receive massive glaciers from Los Glaciares National Park, such as the celebrated Perito Moreno.
• Axel Heiberg — A large island located in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, Canada, forming part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and being the 31st largest island in the world. Named after the Norwegian diplomat and financier Axel Heiberg, the island is known in the global scientific community for its massive glaciers, spectacular mountainous terrain, and a unique paleontological site of a fossil forest from the Eocene epoch.