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Theory of Capillary Flow: II. Experimental Information¹

ABSTRACT

Published results of experiments relating to capillary flow have been examined for data which test the capillary flow theory discussed in Part I. Pertinent information appears to be quite limited.

Kirkham and Feng assembled data showing that linear diffusion theory predicts the time dependence but not the space dependence of water intake by horizontal columns of dry soil. Nonlinear diffusion theory as used by Klute covers both dependences. For this special case of horizontal wetting, the present theory, after change of variables, reduces to Klute's form.

Desorption curves by Nelson and Baver for a series of sieved sand separates coalesce into a single reduced curve when reduced by the particle-size factor.

Time invariant hysteresis effects are characteristic of the present theory; other theories do not exhibit hysteresis properties. Published data show that hysteresis is severe. Time invariance has been tacitly assumed by those reporting such measurements.

When measurements by Parker of freezing point depressions for three liquids in each of three substrates are converted to potential by the method of Schofield and the result is reduced, the points so obtained coalesce, though rather poorly, into a single curve for each substrate.

¹ Presented before Div. I, Soil Science Society of America, St. Paul. Minn., Nov. 10, 1954.

² Agronomy Department, Cornell University, and Departments of Physics and Soils, University of Wisconsin.

Received for publication October 20, 1954.