A new magnetic resonance technique, DDIF (the decay of magnetization due to diffusion in the internal field), was combined with mercury porosimetry to investigate pore geometry, including pore- and throat-size distribution, and pore connectivity for porous media. A comparison of DDIF spectra for a fully water saturated Berea sandstone, with the partially saturated sample by centrifugation in air, indicated that DDIF can be used for the measurement of water filled pore size distribution in partially saturated porous media. Dynamic water imbibition into air-filled Berea sandstone was studied using the DDIF technique. Simultaneously, in situ three-dimensional saturation and capillary driven water penetration were monitored using Conical-SPRITE, which is a rapid, centric scanning, spin-density weighted single point three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging technique. These measurements provide direct evidence for differences in the pore filling mechanisms for co-current imbibition and counter-current imbibition in Berea sandstone. During co-current imbibition, water flows through the pores and connected throats with a piston-type mechanism. Air is displaced from the sample by the leading edge of the waterfront, resulting in a macroscopic piston-like flow through the entire sample. During counter-current imbibition, water flows through the pores and connected throats with a film-like structure along the corners and surfaces of the pore space. Air escapes from the sample by flowing through the center of the pores and pore throats, in the opposite direction. Once the penetrating waterfronts meet, at the sample center, there is a global, uniform increase in water content. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.