Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Sunlight strikes the ice, and a portion is absorbed, warming the surface.
The warmed ice transfers heat to adjacent air molecules through direct molecular collisions.
Heated air rises, creating convection currents that carry thermal energy away from the ice face.
The ice itself emits infrared radiation, exchanging heat with surrounding rock and air.
At extreme altitude, low pressure and cold temperatures cause ice to transition directly to water vapor, a process that consumes latent heat.
When massive ice sheets destabilize, they release gravitational potential energy as kinetic energy, producing destructive avalanches.