Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Ice Generation and the Heat and Mass Transfer Phenomena of Introducing Water to a Cold Bath of Brine
Published on: March 13, 2017
Formation of brine channels in sea ice
Klaus Morawetz1,2,3, Silke Thoms4, Bernd Kutschan5
1Münster University of Applied Sciences, Stegerwaldstraße 39, 48565, Steinfurt, Germany. morawetz@fh-muenster.de.
Abstract:
Liquid salty micro-channels (brine) between growing ice platelets in sea ice are an important habitat for CO2-binding microalgaea with great impact on polar ecosystems. The structure formation of ice platelets is microscopically described and a phase field model is developed. The pattern formation during solidification of the two-dimensional interstitial liquid is considered by two coupled order parameters, the tetrahedricity as structure of ice and the salinity. The coupling and time evolution of these order parameters are described by a consistent set of three model parameters. They determine the velocity of the freezing process and the structure formation, the phase diagram, the super-cooling and super-heating region, and the specific heat. The model is used to calculate the short-time frozen micro-structures. The obtained morphological structure is compared with the vertical brine pore space obtained from X-ray computed tomography.
More Related Videos
13:38Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission L.I.F.E. as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats
Published on: October 26, 2019
08:02Reservoir Condition Pore-scale Imaging of Multiple Fluid Phases Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: February 25, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Effect of Sea Water on Concrete
Concrete in areas between tide marks,...
Entropy and Solvation
Frost Action on Concrete
This freeze-thaw cycle primarily causes surface scaling, where...
Aquaporins
Formation of Halohydrin from Alkenes
Formation of Complex Ions