Science explains why Morocco's sky was mysteriously lit up minutes before earthquake

The surveillance footage that captured the moments leading up to, during, and after the tragic earthquake in Morocco,which has so far claimed over 2,700 lives, showed an unusual light phenomenon. Intriguing bursts of blue light in the sky were captured by security cameras in parts of Morocco, minutes before the powerful earthquake.

There is some scientific insight about the unexplained flashes of lights.

Light in sky before earthquake: What does it mean?

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Various light phenomena can accompany earthquakes, including unusual forms of lightning.

Unlike typical thunderstorm lightning bolts, earthquake lightning originates from the ground and ascends to the clouds, triggered by electric charges associated with seismic activity within the Earth.

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

Additionally, there are artificial light sources like electric poles or lamps that contribute to the illumination during earthquakes.

"The [Morocco] earthquake happened at nighttime,” geophysicist Friedemann Freund was quoted as saying by the Washington Post.

"The condition for earthquake lights to be seen by people and maybe even recorded by cameras would be relatively high."

However, the term "earthquake lights" mentioned by Friedemann specifically refers to the luminous effects generated by the movement of tectonic plates during an earthquake.

These lights can manifest as steady glows, luminous orbs, streaks, or even sheet lightning, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Friedemann further told Washington Post that Earth possesses electrical conductivity.

So is Earth's electrical conductivity responsible for "earthquake lights"?

When we connect to an electrical source, we ground these currents to the Earth. Remember the 'Earth' part of an electric circuit?

During an earthquake, seismic and tectonic forces deform rocks and minerals in the Earth's crust, enabling the flow of electric currents.

These accumulated electric charges on the Earth's surface eventually lead to electric discharges, wherein positively charged electrons in the rocks attract negatively charged particles in the uppermost atmosphere of Earth, resulting in overhead light displays.

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