surficial
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of surficial
1890–95; blend of surface and superficial
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deep and intense weathering of soils and mineral deposits exposed at the surface can result in the formation of surficial deposits.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017
Groundwater slowly moves through the rock and surficial materials.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
Mineral deposits of the "igneous after-effect" type may be profoundly altered through surficial agencies.
From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)
While segregation of materials is characteristic of the surficial products of weathering, the opposite tendency, of mixing and aggregation, is the rule under dynamic metamorphism, notwithstanding the minor segregation above noted.
From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)
One would not look for minerals known to be caused mainly by surficial processes in rocks which have been altered mainly by deep-seated processes.
From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
