Mysterious Blue Lights Spotted in Morocco Before Devastating 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake [Watch]

(Photo: Pexels/Gabriel Garcia)
Mysterious Blue Lights Spotted in Morocco Before Devastating 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake [Watch]

A strong tremor hit Morocco on Monday. Days after the incident, several videos resurfaced showing that bizarre blue lights were observed in the city before the earthquake.

Strange Lights Observed Before Morocco Earthquake

In the wake of Morocco's deadly earthquake, strange videos have surfaced depicting enigmatic lights in the sky before the quake struck.

Hours before the 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurred, blue lights were observed flashing above Agadir, located at the base of the Atlas Mountains.

Even though the films haven't been independently verified, the strange sightings have perplexed spectators, with some speculating that a UFO or lightning might be the cause. Another possibility might be "earthquake lights," an uncommon occurrence thought to occur during seismic stress.

However, no one is certain of the existence or origin of earthquake lights.

According to Dr. Friedemann Freund, the earthquake in [Morocco] occurred at night. There would be a considerable probability that earthquake lights will be noticed by people and possibly even captured on camera.

These strange lights, long regarded as myths, are thought to occur during the Earth's magnetic field changes brought on by an earthquake or volcanic eruption.

Whether it's a pink orb of light or four-inch 'flames' above the pavement, the lights can take many different shapes.

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What Are Earthquake Lights?

Earthquake lights are eerie lights that dance in the days or hours before earthquakes and can be of various colors and shapes. They resemble ball lighting but are far more uncommon, which makes it challenging for scientists to explain.

Complicating matters, there are variations in luminosity around earthquakes, leading to ideas ranging from simple lightning to UFOs and otherworldly manifestations. The lights can have "many different shapes, forms, and colors," according to Friedemann Freund, a senior researcher at NASA's Ames Research Center and an adjunct professor of physics at San Jose State University. He made this statement in an interview with National Geographic in 2014.

The U.S. Geological Survey is dubious about the veracity of earthquake lights (EQL). The organization notes on its website that geophysicists have different opinions regarding the extent to which they believe that specific observations of strange illumination near an earthquake's time and epicenter genuinely represent EQL.

Some people don't believe any of the reports provide strong evidence for EQL, while others believe that at least some of the studies could be used to support EQL.

In 2014, Freund and colleagues published their findings in Seismological Research Letters after researching 65 records of these lights dating back to 1600.

For instance, 11 days prior to a strong earthquake, on Nov. 12, 1988, individuals in Quebec reported seeing a vivid purple-pink globe of light along the St. Lawrence River. Before an 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Pisco, Peru, in 2007, security camera footage showed dazzling flashes that lit up the sky. And four-inch (ten-centimeter) flames of light were spotted flashing over a stone street in L'Aquila, Italy, prior to a 2009 earthquake there. Unsettling pictures of green and blue lights in the sky appeared on social media after an earthquake magnitude of 8.1 rocked Mexico in 2017.

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Check out more news and information on Earthquake in Science Times.