Explain the causes of hysteresis in Soil-Water Characteristic Curves

(SWCC).

The hysteresis in Soil-Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC) can be ascribed to four main
phenomena (Hillel, 2004):
1. The ‘Ink-Bottle’ Effect: This occurrence ensues due to pores being irregular and
geometrically non-uniform, interconnected by yet tiny passages.
This effect can be better understood through analogy by considering the no
uniform capillary tube system as shown below

(a) (b)

In figure capillary tube is described by two different radii, R being the larger tube
radius and r being the smaller tube radius. During upward capillary flow, which is
a wetting process, the maximum height of capillary rise is controlled by the
smaller tube radius, ceasing at the point where the larger radius is encountered
(Fig a) This height is denoted hw and is a direct function of r. For a zero contact
angle, the matric suction at the maximum rise is equal to 2Ts/r. On the other
hand, if the tube is initially filled, then the capillary height hd during drainage may
extend beyond the larger pore radius R (Fig. b). The matric suction at equilibrium
for the drainage condition is also equal to 2Ts/r; however, much like the soil-
water characteristic curve the total water content of the capillary tube during
drainage is larger than that during wetting.
Childs (1969) presented a hypothetical cross section through a soil
specimen that further clarifies ink-bottle hysteresis.
 The soil system shown in the figure is initially saturated, with the air-water
interface standing at some elevation above the soil surface (stage 1). The pore
pressure at this stage is positive, having a magnitude equal to the hydrostatic
pressure governed by the height of the standing water. The solid lines
corresponding to stages 2 through 6 denote progressive positions of the air-water
interface as the pore pressure is incrementally decreased into a negative regime,
thus causing the pore water to retreat into smaller and smaller pore throats within
the specimen. The matric suction at each stage is described by the curvature of
the air-water interface, which becomes more severe as the drainage process
continues under increasing suction. The dashed lines denoting stages 7 through
9 represent positions of the air-water interface during a subsequent refilling
process. In order for the pore structure to refill, however, the air-water interface
must proceed through the widest pore throat (within the vicinity of stages 8 and
9). Because the curvature within this pore throat becomes progressively less
severe, the suction must be progressively reduced to a point low enough to be in
equilibrium with the curvature for the filling process to proceed. The net effect is
that the water content of the system during the refilling process is systematically
less than that during the drainage process for the same magnitude of suction.

2. The Contact Angle Effect: This occurrence arises because of the process by
which the liquid molecules are adsorbed or desorbed by the displacement of
interface. Likewise, it can be attributed to the existence of impurities adsorbed on
the surface of solid and also due to its surface roughness. The solid-liquid effect
causes the contact angle and, thus, the radius of curvature, to increase when the
meniscus is advancing, compared to when it is declining.
The difference between wetting and drying contact angles in unsaturated soil can
be significant. Experimental studies based on capillary rise and horizontal
infiltration testing, for example, have shown that wetting contact angles in sands
can be as high as 60º to 80º (e.g., Letey et al., 1962; Kumar and Malik, 1990).
Drying contact angles, on the other hand, have been estimated to range from 0º
to as much as 20º to 30º less than the corresponding wetting angles (e.g.,
Laroussi and DeBacker, 1979). These differences may have an important impact
on the water retention behavior of unsaturated soil and may contribute to
hysteresis in the soil-water characteristic curve and suction stress characteristic
curve.

3. Air Entrapment: Water content of a freshly wetted soil is reduced by entrapped

air, thereby, heightening hysteresis effect as the true equilibrium is not achieved.

4. Wetting and Drying: This phenomenon occurs due to the swelling-shrinkage

history or due to the slow solution of air, or the release of dissolved air, from the
soil. As a result, the suction-wetness relation (in wetting and drying) is disturbed,
causing the soil structure to alter differentially.
References:

1. Hillel, D. (2004), Introduction to Environmental Soil Physics, Elsevier Science

Academic Press, Burlington, Massachusetts 01803, USA.
2. Childs, E. C., 1969, Soil Water Phenomena, Wiley-Interscience, New York.
3. Letey, J., Osborn, J., and Pelishek, R. E., 1962, ‘‘Measurement of liquid-solid
contact angles in soil and sand,’’ Soil Science, 93, 149–153.
4. Kumar, S., and Malik, R. S., 1990, ‘‘Verification of quick capillary rise approach
for determining pore geometrical characteristics in soils of varying texture,’’ Soil
Science, 150(6), 883–888.
5. Laroussi, C. H., and DeBacker, L. W., 1979, ‘‘Relations between geometrical
properties of glass bead media and their main Ψ(θ) hysteresis loops,’’ Soil Science
Society of America Journal, 43, 646–650.
6. NING LU, WILLIAM J. LIKOS; Unsaturated Soil Mechanics