Formation of brine channels in sea ice.

Liquid salty micro-channels (brine) between growing ice platelets in sea ice are an important habitat for CO-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.