Sky in Morocco lit up by mysterious lights before earthquake: The science explained

At least 2,900 people were killed and about 5,500 more were injured last Friday when a devastating 6.8-magnitude earthquake shook the High Atlas Mountains in Eastern Morocco. But both scientists and the general public have been intrigued by a strange occurrence that took place before the earthquake. Videos of bright lights blazing across the sky before an earthquake have taken over the internet. The mysterious aerial phenomenon is known as “earthquake light (EQL).” The existence or the cause of vibrant dancing light or its origins have long been debated among scientists. Though there is currently no consensus on their causes, John Derr, a retired geophysicist who had worked for the US Geological Survey, told CNN that they are “definitely real.” He claimed that a recent video from Morocco resembled earthquake lights seen on security cameras during an earthquake that struck Pisco, Peru, in 2007. These lights may help with early detection attempts if they are shown to be connected to seismic activity. **Also Read: Why the Morocco earthquake was so devastating** What are “earthquake lights”? The occurrence of light bursts associated with earthquakes has been documented historically for centuries. These light bursts can range in length from quick flashes to minute-long fireballs, and they can appear high or low in the sky and appear in a variety of hues. Earthquakes can be accompanied by a number of visual phenomena, such as unusual lighting. “The (Morocco) earthquake happened at night time. The condition for earthquake lights to be seen by people and maybe even recorded by cameras would be relatively high,” geophysicist Friedemann Freund of the SETI Institute, who reviewed 65 reports of potential “earthquake lights,” was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. However, Friedemann’s use of the term “earthquake lights” relates exclusively to the luminescent effects brought on by tectonic plate movement during an earthquake. Friedemann added to the Washington Post that Earth has electrical conductivity.

أحد الأخوان من المغرب الشقيق أرسل لي هذا المقطع الغريب من كاميرا مراقبة لمنزله في مدينة أغادير لحظة وقوع الزلزال…

ظهرت ومضات ضوء زرقاء غامضة في الأفق ولا أحد يعرف ماهي.

مع العلم أن هذه الأضواء ظهرت نفسها لحظة وقوع زلزال تركيا وسوريا قبل 7 أشهر.

هل يوجد لدى أحد تفسير؟ pic.twitter.com/q845XXSlYu

— إياد الحمود (@Eyaaaad) September 9, 2023

The United States Geological Survey refers to earthquake lights as sheet lightning, balls of light, streamers, and steady glow. However, there is no conclusive evidence to support an explanation for the puzzling phenomena. The USGS reports that there is disagreement among geophysicists regarding the degree to which they believe that specific reports of unusual lighting near an earthquake’s epicentre actually represent EQL, as per India Today. Some believe that none of the reports are conclusive proof of EQL, while others believe that at least some of the reports could plausibly be related to EQL. According to Independent, the first photographic evidence of the phenomenon was presented in 1973 by the Japanese geologist Yutaka Yasui, who captured blazing reddish and blue clouds in the sky after a series of earthquakes that shook the city of Matsushiro in 1965 and 1967. In many other instances, however, both scientists and sceptics question if these sightings are indeed related to earthquakes. “Which ones are actually true, and which ones are products of their imagination, we can’t really say,” seismologist John Ebel from Boston College told The New York Times. Also read: Morocco earthquake: Why tourists are not cancelling their travel plans What causes “earthquake lights”? CNN cited Dr Freund and his colleagues’ 2014 paper on the phenomena as stating that strained rocks, such as basalts and gabbros, a type of coarse, volcanic rock, might discharge charge when activated by seismic waves. These charges have the potential to move towards the surface, combine to form a “plasma-like state,” and produce electrical discharges in the atmosphere, according to the researchers. Less than 0.5 per cent of earthquakes globally, according to 2014 research published in the journal Seismological Research Letters, are thought to be accompanied by lights.

🇲🇦🔵🌍🇹🇷🌐🌩️ - Once more, reports of enigmatic blue lights have surfaced, preceding seismic events in the land of Morocco. A similar phenomenon was witnessed earlier this year in Türkiye, mere moments prior to earthquakes striking both Türkiye and Syria. pic.twitter.com/V7Ht2Xq3qp

— Aprajita Nafs Nefes 🦋 Ancient Believer (@aprajitanefes) September 13, 2023

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According to the researchers, these lights are most frequently seen in Italy, Greece, France, Germany, China, and South America, but they have also on occasion been observed in places as far apart as Japan and North America. The theory suggests electrical charges may amass across a region of the planet’s surface when earthquakes fracture such electrically conductive rocks in the crust. At some point, these discharges may be able to draw charged particles from the upper atmosphere, creating light overhead. However, it is still entirely unknown how the Earth’s surface, which is electrically conductive, can concentrate and support such high charge densities. “It’s one of those persistent mysteries that hang around and never quite get nailed,” Independent quoted physicist Karen Daniels as saying to The Times. When and where does it occur? According to CNN, in most cases, the phenomenon was noticed before or during the seismic event, and it was visible up 600 kilometres (372.8 miles) from the quake epicentre, according to the study, which gathered data on 65 American and European earthquakes linked to reliable reports of earthquake lights dating back to 1600. Tectonic plate boundaries or places close by are where earthquakes, especially strong ones, are most likely to strike. The majority of earthquakes connected to light phenomena, according to the 2014 study, took place inside tectonic plates rather than at their edges. [caption id=“attachment_13123222” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A rescue team recovers the body of a woman who was killed by the earthquake, in the town of Imi N’tala, outside Marrakech, Morocco. AP[/caption] Furthermore, earthquake lights were more likely to occur on or close to rift valleys, regions where the Earth’s crust had been torn apart in the past, resulting in an extended lowland area that lay between two higher blocks of land. Also read: A Sad Chapter: How powerful earthquake in Morocco has wiped out parts of history Morocco earthquake The death and injury counts have risen as responders have reached more of these remote villages, where they dug up bodies and sent people to hospitals. Moroccan authorities reported 2,946 deaths and several thousand injuries as of Wednesday. The United Nations estimated that the magnitude 6.8 quake had affected some 300,000 people. According to The Associated Press, the epicentre was high in the Atlas Mountains, about 70 kilometres (44 miles) south of Marrakech in Al Haouz province. The region is largely rural — made up of red-rock mountains, picturesque gorges and glistening streams and lakes. The earthquake shook most of Morocco and caused injury and death in other provinces, including Marrakech, Taroudant and Chichaoua.

Morocco has deployed ambulances, rescue crews and soldiers to the region to help assist with emergency response efforts. Aid groups said the government hasn’t made a broad appeal for help and accepted only limited foreign assistance. The Interior Ministry said that it was accepting search and rescue-focused international aid from nongovernmental organizations as well as Spain, Qatar, the U.K. and the United Arab Emirates, bypassing offers from French President Emmanuel Macron and US president Joe Biden. The Moroccan government said that poorly coordinated aid “would be counterproductive,” to the frustration of rescue teams. With inputs from agencies