motion of an object through ice by melting and freezing that is caused by pressure differences; this process allows a glacier to slide past small obstacles on its bed.

Regelation is the phenomenon of melting under pressure and freezing again when the pressure is reduced. Many textbooks and websites claim that regelation can be demonstrated by looping a fine wire around a block of ice and attaching a heavy weight to it. The pressure exerted on the ice slowly melts it locally, permitting the wire to pass through the entire block.