sub·sur·face
ˈsəb-ˌsər-fəs 
: earth material (such as rock) near but not exposed at the surface of the ground
sub·sur·face
ˌsəb-ˈsər-fəs
: of, relating to, or being something located beneath a surface and especially underground
Examples of subsurface in a Sentence
Adjective
a sandy wasteland that gave little hint of its subsurface wealth
Recent Examples on the Web
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 13 May 2025
Whereas Earth’s mantle is mostly solid and plasticky, Io’s subsurface was thought to be filled with an ocean of liquid rock 50 kilometers thick, or almost five times thicker than the Pacific Ocean at its deepest point (opens a new tab).
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
Liz Kruesi, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2015
An entire ocean’s worth is unlikely, but a significant amount of subsurface water isn’t.
—John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, 8 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for subsurface
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Noun
This raises the question of what fueled the volcanism in the absence of water and hot radioactive elements to generate subsurface magma.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 13 May 2025
Whereas Earth’s mantle is mostly solid and plasticky, Io’s subsurface was thought to be filled with an ocean of liquid rock 50 kilometers thick, or almost five times thicker than the Pacific Ocean at its deepest point (opens a new tab).
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
So Marco Mastrogiuseppe, a researcher on the Cassini team who had used instruments like RADAR to map subsurface water on Mars, decided to try something.
—Liz Kruesi, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2015
An entire ocean’s worth is unlikely, but a significant amount of subsurface water isn’t.
—John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, 8 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for subsurface
Cite this Entry
“Subsurface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsurface. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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