All forms of this defect are indicative of stresses within the coating system which it is not flexible enough to withstand.
This may be the result of ageing and consequent embrittlement of the system of movement, (e.g. expansion or contraction), in the substrate or of the application of hard-drying coats over softer ones.
A typical example of the latter occurs when soft bituminous coatings are overcoated with conventional paints.  Slight surface cracking, checking or crazing can sometimes be remedied by rubbing down, filling if necessary and recoating.  In severe cases, and especially if the cracks extend through the whole thickness of the film, the surface must be completely stripped.