We report the use of a combination of profilometry, high speed imaging and recoil measurements using a ballistic pendulum to calculate the amount of material removed due to mechanisms of vaporisation, melt displacement and melt ejection when ablating aluminium with a visible nanosecond laser. Single laser pulses are shown to induce material removal predominantly by the mechanism of melt displacement at fluences <2 J.cm-2, melt displacement and vapourisation at fluences between 2 and 7 J.cm-2, and melt ejection with smaller contributions due to melt displacement and vaporisation at fluences >7 J.cm-2. Studies of the effects of multiple laser pulses, as a function of spot size and pulse rate demonstrate the additional influence of the geometric constraints of the ablation crater and cumulative heating on laser ablation.

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