ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Sleeper dike

Okay kiddo, a sleeper dike is like a secret underground wall that helps keep things from spilling out. Imagine you have a big bowl of yummy pudding that you don't want to spill all over the place. You put your hand around the bowl to keep it from tipping over, right? Well, a sleeper dike works like your hand, but it's hidden under the ground.

Sometimes, deep under the surface of the earth, there are big rivers of hot melted rock called magma. If these rivers get too close to the surface, they can cause a volcanic eruption and make lava spill out everywhere. That's where a sleeper dike comes in. See, it's like a wall made of hard rock that was formed millions of years ago when the ground was still hot and molten. It's hidden deep in the earth's crust, and it helps keep the magma from rising up and causing trouble.

So, when scientists study these sleeper dikes, they're really looking for clues about how the earth was formed and how it works. It's like they're detectives trying to solve a mystery by looking for clues in the ground. By studying the shape and size of these sleeper dikes, they can learn more about the history of the earth and how it changes over time.

In summary, a sleeper dike is like a secret underground wall that keeps hot melted rock from causing a volcanic eruption. It helps scientists learn more about the history and workings of the earth.