A free boundary problem in glaciology: the motion of grounding lines (Q2372147)

The paper under review concerns a free boundary problem arising from glaciology. Indeed, the authors investigate the stationary ice sheet modeled as a Stokes flow in a bounded two-dimensional domain. Mathematically, the problem studied in this well-written and motivated work involves a free boundary problem where the balances of forces at the interfaces change, thus the free boundary conditions are different. This gives rise to a number of new mathematical difficulties. By a thorough analysis on the linearized problem, the authors ultimately establish existence and uniqueness of a solution to their original nonlinear free boundary problem. Such a solution is proven to have zero contact angle and the asymptotic behavior of the free boundary is determined.