ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Anderson's theory of faulting

Okay kiddo, let's start with what faulting means. You know earthquakes right? Well, when the earth's rocks break and move, that's called faulting.

Anderson's theory of faulting is a way of explaining how and why those rocks break and move. Imagine a sheet of paper, but instead of paper, it's made of different types of rocks. When pressure and stress are put on the paper, it might rip or crumple, right? That's kind of like what happens to rocks when there is pressure and stress on them.

Anderson's theory says that there are three types of stress that can cause rocks to break: compression (like if you squish a ball of playdough), tension (like if you pull a piece of taffy apart), and shear (like if you slide two pieces of paper against each other).

When rocks are put under stress, they can either bend (like a piece of gum), break (like a pencil snapping), or flow (like a liquid). Anderson's theory says that which of these things happens depends on things like the type of rock, the pressure and temperature, and how fast the stress is applied.

So basically, Anderson's theory helps scientists understand how and why rocks break and move during earthquakes. Cool, huh?