Until recently it was considered a myth, because no one had been able to record them. But seismic lights are real, although no one has any idea what they are.
We still cannot predict earthquakes far enough in advance to save lives. The latest and sad example is that of Morocco, which has already claimed 2,900 deaths and more than 5,000 injuries. That’s why the lights of the earthquakes They can be so important: They occur minutes before an earthquake, although no one knows how they occur.
For centuries, eyewitnesses to earthquakes have claimed to have seen lights, sparkles, and rays, seconds or minutes before a large earthquake. Scientists do not have an explanation, and since there was no evidence, because before there were not so many cameras and mobile phones, they were considered a myth.
But in recent years, there are recordings of strange flashes and explosions of light, in the past earthquakes in Mexico and Japan, and now also in the recent one in Morocco.
The strange blue flashes in the Moroccan earthquake
After the terrible earthquake in the neighboring country, social networks have been filled with videos where you can see mysterious blue lights flashing in the dark night, minutes before the earthquake.
Here you can see some video examples, at different distances. It looks better in the second video:
In the Moroccan earthquake the lights are like blue flashesbut in other earthquakes lightning bolts, columns of light, and other different phenomena have been seen.
The problem is that scientists have no idea what they are.. Some studies conclude that it could be due to the friction between the tectonic plates that produces the earthquake, which generate static electricity that spreads through the atmosphere, creating flashes of light. But others don’t believe rocks can cause that kind of electricity.
Another explanation is that the earthquake itself produces alterations in the electrical lines, which generate discharges. But neither does it convince everyone, because these alterations appear when the earthquake has not yet occurred.
In any case, it seems proven that seismic lights or earthquake lights are real, and understanding them can be vital to predicting large earthquakes before they occur. That could save many lives.