Crystal growth of calcite from calcium bicarbonate solutions at constant P_CO2 and 25°C: a test of a calcite dissolution model

A highly reproducible seeded growth technique was used to study calcite crystallization from calcium bicarbonate solutions at 25°C and fixed carbon dioxide partial pressures between 0.03 and 0.3 atm. The results are not consistent with empirical crystallization models that have successfully described calcite growth at low P_CO2 (< 10⁻³ atm). Good agreement was found between observed crystallization rates and those calculated from the calcite dissolution rate law and mechanism proposed by Plummer et al. (1978).