Before earthquakes, similar to the one that occurred in Morocco, some people observe strange glows in the sky. Images with a unique luminescence circulated on social media prior to the 6.8 Mw earthquake in Morocco in 2023, which claimed over 2,600 lives.
For a long time, the phenomenon of lights appearing before earthquakes was considered a myth. However, in recent years, it has been captured on camera several times. In 2021, lights appeared over Mexico City, and in 2022, over eastern Japan. Each time, they preceded powerful earthquakes. Scientists studying “earthquake lights” claim that they are absolutely real and a confirmed scientific fact.
How Do Earthquake Lights Manifest?
Typically, lightning discharges striking the ground and structures during thunderstorms are associated with atmospheric electricity. Seismic lightning moves in the opposite direction, from the ground to the clouds, and is activated by electrical charges related to the active movement of tectonic plates. According to the United States Geological Survey, they can take various forms and manifest as:
- A uniform glow appearing in the potential earthquake zone several days or even weeks before the main event;
- Balls of light rising from the ground;
- Flashes resembling flames, moving slowly across the ground;
- Bright, thread-like streamers.
Geophysicists assert that the appearance of “earthquake lights” is linked to the electrical conductivity of our planet. During an earthquake, seismic forces deform rocks and minerals in the Earth’s crust, creating new channels for electrical currents. These electrical charges accumulate on the Earth’s surface and ultimately create bright discharges. Ionized particles in the rocks attract negatively charged elements in the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, creating a unique glow.
What Tectonic Electrostatic Luminescence Might Look Like
Geophysicist Friedemann Freund from the SETI Institute studied numerous instances of earthquake precursor lights appearing on land and in the sky and published his research. In his opinion, “earthquake lights” can differ not only in shape and intensity of luminescence but also in color. The hue of the lights depends on the type of excited atoms in the atmosphere. Oxygen molecules can emit reddish or greenish light, but their chemical bonding will produce a bright yellow hue.
According to the scientist, because the electrical charges on the surface and in the air change intensity, sensitive individuals might experience headaches and weakness. This explains the strange behavior of animals shortly before an earthquake. Due to the static nature of seismic electricity, people might also notice their hair standing on end and experience discomfort from tingling skin.
Laboratory tests show that materials subjected to high pressure and beginning to crack experience surges in static voltage. This confirms that observing “earthquake lights,” resulting from the increase in static electricity in a tectonic fault, can be considered a precursor to imminent seismic activity.
Where Can Earthquake Lights Be Observed?
Most reports of “earthquake lights” are associated with seismic regions located not at the edges, but within the interior zones of continental plates. Over the past decade, 65 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 3.6 to 9.2 have been studied β lights almost always appeared before or during the tremors, and only very rarely after the seismic events ended. In 97% of cases, the appearance of the luminescence zone is associated with the formation of deep subvertical faults.
Scientists suggest that the electrical charge accumulates under strong mechanical stress and rises to the surface along these steep faults, where air molecules become ionized. The glow is not observed in subduction zones, where continental plates slide beneath one another. This seemingly stems from the insufficient depth of the faults and entirely different mechanical processes occurring within the tectonic plates.
Documented Accounts of Earthquake Lights
One of the most well-known examples of successfully reacting to earthquake precursors involves a family’s escape during the devastating 2009 L’Aquila earthquake in Central Italy. A resident, upon observing a luminescence emanating from the ground skyward, managed to evacuate his family from their home moments before it collapsed from the tremors.
A similar glow was observed in the Swabian Jura mountains preceding the strong earthquakes of 1943 and 1978. Bright flashes were witnessed in Mexico City before the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 1971. In 1973, Japanese geologist Yutaka Yasui provided several photographs capturing reddish and blue luminous clouds in the sky above the city of Matsushiro during an earthquake.
What Science Says
Despite numerous eyewitness accounts and geophysical theories, the link between earthquake lights and seismic events hasn’t been officially established. This is due to the challenges in taking precise measurements and identifying electrical impulses within the tectonic fault itself. Most reports of luminescence occur during the earthquake β people awaken, see flashes, and feel the ground shaking. If there were widespread reports of earthquake lights preceding seismic activity, researchers could strategically position sensors near major fault lines to search for precursory signals.