Earthquake Lights
An earthquake light, also known as earthquake lightning or an earthquake flash, is a light said to occur at or near areas of tectonic stress, seismic activity, or volcanic eruptions. Experts differ on whether the lights are real phenomena and if so, whether there is a causal link to earthquakes, while others reserve the term for events associated with seismic activity. Reports mention flashes, glows, luminous orbs, and other transient lights observed before, during, or after earthquakes and at various distances from the sites of the earthquakes. Earthquake lights were first recorded on film in the 1960s in Japan.
Several mechanisms have been proposed, including ionospheric or magnetic disturbances, piezoelectric generation, rock stress ionization, seismo-electric effects involving seismic strain and electric fields, as well as triboelectric or frictional discharge. Some reported earthquake lights have also been attributed to non-seismic causes such as lightning, arcing power lines, or electrical-grid failures.
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