The phrase "surface rocks" refers to the rocks or stones that are found on the top layer of the Earth's crust. It describes the rocks that can be seen and touched without digging or going underground. Full definition
Siberian surface rock was loaded with carbon, resulting in runaway global warming as atmospheric CO2 levels more than doubled. (discovermagazine.com)
When two sets of measurements correlate (or correspond), people often mistakenly conclude that one of the things measured (such as radioactivity in surface rocks at one location) caused the other thing being measured (surface heat flow at that location). (creationscience.com)
Hence, the universe could be teeming with life, even if it is likely to be mostly microbial in size (as it is on Earth itself, where single - celled bacteria have been found miles deep below as well as within and on surface rock [and in sub-surface rock down to the gabbroic layer just above the molten mantle], within and beneath the oceans and polar ice, floating in the air, and within as well as on Homo sapiens sapiens). (solstation.com)