CAPILLARY ZONE

Soil area above the water table where water can rise up slightly through the cohesive force of capillary action. The capillary zone can be seen right above the water-table, where the water may be continued upwards as a result of capillary action. Most capillary zones consist of fringes made from clay with a pore radius that is greater than fine sand. Larger pore sizes are beneficial since smaller ones are unable to prevent the saturation of water from occurring throughout the soil. However, larger pore sizes can inhibit the spread of the saturation portion from spreading more than a few inches.