Earthquake Lights: Unusual Luminescent Phenomenon

Category: Geography / Geophysics / Disaster Management

  • Earthquake lights (EQL) refer to unusual luminous phenomena reportedly observed before, during or around the time of some earthquakes.
  • Reported forms include flashes, glowing regions or luminous clouds.
  • Several mechanisms have been proposed, including electrical effects generated by stress and deformation of rocks.
  • The phenomenon remains an area of scientific investigation, and not every reported observation is necessarily linked to an earthquake.
  • Earthquake lights should not currently be treated as a reliable earthquake prediction tool.

Key Pointer: Earthquake Lights → Unusual luminosity associated with some earthquakes → Proposed geophysical/electrical mechanisms → Not a reliable prediction method.