Mysterious lights were seen in the sky during a devastating earthquake that struck Morocco last week, leaving scientists uncertain about their origin.
The feature was recorded before the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck the High Atlas Mountains in eastern Morocco, killing about 2,900 people and injuring another 5,500, according to Portal.
Videos shared on social media show bright flashes of light streaking across the sky before the earthquake. Although not independently verified, experts suspect that these videos may have captured a phenomenon known as “earthquake lights.”
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However, the existence and cause of earthquake fires remains uncertain. If their connection to intense seismic activity is confirmed, some scientists hope they could help detect earthquakes early.
Over the centuries, there have been numerous reports of light bursts associated with earthquakes, ranging from bright onesecond flashes to minuteslong fireballs of varying colors high or low in the sky. However, the unpredictability of earthquakes makes it impossible to conduct a study to directly document these events, leading scientists to rely on human memory, which can be fallible.
With the advent of surveillance cameras and smartphones, more and more images of these strange lights began to emerge, strengthening belief in their existence. Mysterious bright flashes were captured before the 2021 Mexico City earthquake and also before the 2022 East Japan earthquake.
Although there is now more evidence that these flashes occasionally occur near earthquakes, what actually happens is still unknown.
Friedemann Freund, a geophysicist at the SETI Institute who has reviewed 65 reports of possible “earthquake lights” collected since the 17th century, suspects that they may be a complex form of static electricity. He suggests that the friction created when tectonic plates rub together could generate enough current to create an electrical discharge, which would explain the bright flash.
“When tectonic plates rub together, that friction could generate enough current to create an electrical discharge, which would explain the bright flash,” Friedemann told The Washington Post.
The US Geological Survey is cautious in interpreting the events.
“Geophysicists have differing opinions about the extent to which they believe individual reports of unusual lighting near the timing and epicenter of an earthquake actually represent earthquake lights,” the USGS website says.
“Some doubt that any of the reports constitute solid evidence of EQL, while others believe that at least some reports are plausibly consistent with EQL,” the website continues.
There are other possible explanations for the flashes. For example, it is possible that the first vibrations will shake power lines and create electrical arcs.