Subaerial

The term subaerial (literally "under the air") is mainly used in geology to describe events or structures that are located on the Earth's surface exposed to Earth's atmosphere. This is to be contrasted with submarine events or structures — those located beneath the surface of sea, or subglacial ones — those located beneath glacial ice, such as ice sheets.

For example, a subaerial eruption of a volcano is one that ejects material into the air. Subaerial weathering is weathering by rain, frost, rivers etc.

The term "subaerial" may exclude the processes occurring in caves.^{[citation needed]}

The term is often used in sedimentology.