High temperature oxidation of metals leads to residual stresses in the metal and in the oxide. In this work, we try to predict the evolution of the residual stresses in the growing oxides layers, during isothermal oxidation. The origin of these stresses is based on the microstructural model of Clarke, however, another justification is proposed, assuming a proportional dependence of the growth strain with the oxide layer thickness. Using the mechanics of thin layers, as well as the analysis proposed to describe the growth strain, a system of equations are deduced that predict the stresses evolution with oxidation time. Numerical analysis is performed, leading to a set of theoretical curves. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.