Abstract: A series of constitutive models have been established for seaice dynamics under different temporal-spatial scales from the 1970s. Inthis paper, the existing constitutive models were divided into fourgroups, that is, elastic-plastic model, viscous-plastic model and its modifications,anisotropic model and viscous-elastic-plastic model of granular flowdynamics. Their characteristics and applications in the sea ice dynamicswere discussed. Especially, the viscous-plastic model and its modifications,which were applied widely at large and meso-scales in the polar andsub-polar ice field, were discussed in details. At the end, the keyissues inconstitutive model for sea ice dynamics were discussed. Theviscoelasic-plastic model should be developed to improve the precision ofsea ice simulation at large and meso-scales. The granular flow dynamics withviscous-elastic-plastic model, which was used at small scale satisfactorily,can be applied widely at large and meso-scales when its computationalefficiency is improved. With the aids of indoor physical experiments, thescale law should be investigated further to establish the relationship in thesea ice constitutive model at different scales.