A phase field model for brine channels in sea ice

In this paper, we present a phenomenological mathematical model for describing the features of the brine channels in sea ice. The differential system is composed of the Ginzburg-Landau and Cahn-Hilliard equations, in addition to the heat equation, that controls the ice-liquid phase transition by the temperature and hence the establishment of brine channels. The compatibility of this system with the thermodynamic laws and a maximum theorem is proved. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.