| Term: | Total mass balance |
| Definition: | The sum of the climatic-basal mass balance and frontal ablation, or equivalently the sum of accumulation and ablation; a synonym of mass balance. The adjective 'total' was formerly a technical term in the stratigraphic system (Anonymous 1969; Appendix: A). It is now needed only when it is important to emphasize that all the components of the mass balance are being studied. |