Subaerial
In natural science, subaerial (literally "under the air") has been used since 1833,[1] notably in geology and botany, to describe features and events occurring or formed on or near the Earth's land surface.[1] They are thus exposed to Earth's atmosphere. This may be contrasted with subaqueous[2] events or features located below a water surface, submarine events or features located below a sea surface, subterranean events or features located below ground, or subglacial events or features located below glacial ice such as ice sheets.
Geology
For example, a subaerial eruption of a volcano is one that ejects material in the open but "under the air" (under the atmosphere). Subaerial weathering is weathering by rain, frost, rivers etc.
The term "subaerial" may exclude processes occurring in caves. [citation needed]
The term is often used in sedimentology.
Botany
Leaves are subaerial organs of plants.[3]
Some plants may have subaerial roots,
Subaerial stems are the stems that do not rise up but grow just above the ground. As a type of asexual propagation, these subaerial stolons, also called runners, often develop roots and leaves from their nodes.[7]
Some pond plants have subaerial leaves as well as submerged leaves (
See also
- Specialized root types
- Velamen – epidermis of subaerial roots in some orchids and other epiphytic plants
References
- ^ a b c Subaerial in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
- AGI(1984)
- ISBN 81-7141-205-X.
- ^ R.H.V. Corley & P.B.H. Tinker. The Oil Palm, 4th edition, page 37. Blackwell Science, 2003 (three eds. in 1967, 1977 and 1988).
- ^ Macgregor Skene, op. cit., p. 229.
- ^ Macgregor Skene, op. cit., p. 71.
- ^ [dead link]"Subaerial Stem Modifications" on tutorvista.com.
- ^ Macgregor Skene, op. cit., p. 294.