Abstract
An especially devised numerical procedure applied to the Darcian model of soil moisture flow makes it possible to analyze the post‐infiltration redistribution of water in semi‐infinite, vertical soil columns. The method takes into account the effects of hysteresis by making it possible to find, within the hysteretic system of curves, the unique curve which characterizes moisture transformations at each soil depth. The method can be applied to cases in which the moisture flux at soil surface is zero as well as to those in which the redistribut on is accompanied by constantrate evaporation.The results obtained by applying the new method to data on moisture retention and conductivity of a sandy soil demonstrate the importance of hysteresis in the redistribution processes.