We studied the coarsening evolution of step patterns on sodium chlorate miscut surfaces due to recrystallization under compressive stress in a saturated solution. The coarsening rates and pattern geometries were measured by digital image analyses of optical microscopy recordings. The average distance between the macrosteps (lambda) initially grew according to lambda similar to t(1/4) but changed to lambda similar to t(1/2) later in the experiments. The relatively rapid transition in coarsening rate was not accompanied by a sudden transition in pattern geometry, characterized by the number of step intersection points and terrace aspect ratios. The mean terrace aspect ratio continuously decreased, due to a gradual transition from relatively straight (perpendicular to principal stress) to more undulating steps. Possible causes of the observed transition in pattern evolution are: (i) a reduction of step line tension; (ii) an increasing variation in the surface stress distribution; and/or (iii) a change in growth morphology of sodium chlorate due to a decreasing driving force (supersaturation) of recrystallization. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.