Limits to crystallization pressure

A new experimental technique to control crystal growth in confinement and pressure of a solid wall on the growing crystal has been developed and applied to calcite. At low contact pressure a cavity forms, the growth rim undergoes a transition from smooth to stepwise dynamic causing fast, wobbling growth at the confined surface. When contact pressure is increased to 10~kPa the wobbling growth stops, the growth rim becomes smooth again and the growth of the confined surface relaxes to a rate below the detection limit of the measurements. A new, complete theoretical description of the process is presented.