MURPHYS-HSFS-2014 - 7th International Workshop on Multi-Rate Processes & Hysteresis, 2nd International Workshop on Hysteresis and Slow-Fast Systems, April 7-11, 2014 - Abstract
Albers, Bettina
The phenomenon hysteresis and both empirical and mathematical models of hysteresis are discussed and some examples are shown. The focus lies on soil-moisture hysteresis: the capillary pressure in partially saturated soils exhibits different values depending on the initial state of saturation. If the pores of the soil are initially filled by the wetting phase and drainage takes place, for the same degree of saturation the capillary pressure is different from the situation that the pores at the beginning are filled by the non-wetting phase and imbibition occurs. An overview is given on the history of the investigation of the phenomenon, on empirical models to describe the effect theoretically and also on some mathematical approaches dealing with soil-moisture hysteresis. All of these studies aim to fit experimental results - not only on the main hysteresis curves but also on inner hysteresis curves which occur upon re- wetting and re-drying - as accurately as possible.