thawing process 2019-04-09T13:17:56Z Note that ice or snow need not be present in the material in order for it to undergo thawing. The semantics of 'thaw' vs 'melt' are debated in fields such as permafrost geology/physics. This module is thus likely to be dynamic. thawing A warming process during which the thermal energy in a portion of environmental material is sufficient to melt water-based ice or snow. material warming process