Hi All. Over a number of years I have read and heard stories about earthquake lights (EQL). Recently I started looking at various links that dealt with EQL to see if I could learn as to how much truth there is to these stories. If I found what I was looking for I was going to see if there could be a link between these so call EQL and ear tones. At first most of what I found was related to UFOs, and as I don’t put much stock in the stories associated with UFOs I put that to one side.

Not really finding what I was looking for I decided to do a little e-mailing and make some phone calls. What I found came from what I consider a reliable source, but may not be considered as such by others. The first was from the USGS and the second was from the Japanese Government.

The information in the following was contained in an review paper written by John Derr sent to me by Dr. John Derr of the USGS in New Mexico that he wrote in 1973. I have only covered the areas I’m familiar with.

When I talked with Dr. Derr Friday he advised that they still don’t really know the cause of EQLs. Lots of theories though.

The best documented observations of EQL are from Japanese earthquakes in the early 1930s and mid-1960s. In the latter sights there are color and black and white photographs that were taken of bright, hemispherical, white luminescence’s based at ground level. They range from 20 to 200m in diameter with a duration of 10 seconds to 2 minutes. When I looked at the photographs one could see the foreground objects such as trees and other objects. In some to the pictures the light appeared to be like a circle cut in half with the flat part of the circle touching the ground.

The first known investigations, which led to significant interpretations and conclusions, were done in the early 1930x by two Japanese seismologists, Terada (1931, 1934) and Musya (1931, 1932,1934), and were described by Davison (1936, 1937). Mysya collected some 1,500 reports of EQL from the Idu Peninsula earthquake of November 26, 1930 at 4:30AM. At one point on the east side of Tokyo Bay, the light resembled auroral streamers diverging from a point on the horizon. Beams and columns of light were seen at different places, with several observers comparing the beams to those of a searchlight. Some stated that detached clouds were illuminated or that a ruddy glow was seen in the sky. At Hakona-Mati, close to the epicenter and to the northeast, a flash of light was seen, now in one spot, now in another, and when the earthquake was at its height, a straight row of round masses of light appeared in the southwest. Some reported the lights as being a pale blue or white while others report them as reddish or orange. The light is said to have been so bright in Tokyo that objects in a room could be seen. At another place, about 30 miles from the epicenter, it was brighter than that of moonlight.

The lights were seen at a distance of 50 miles to the east of the quakes epicenter, nearly 70 miles to the northeast, and more than 40 miles to the west. They were seen both before and for some time after the quake, but were most conspicuous during the middle of the quake.

More recently, research into observations of luminous phenomena in Japan has been done by Yasui (1968, 1971, 1972) who collected and studied pictures taken by various observers, of EQL observed during the Matsushiro earthquake swarm of 1965 to 1967. Of the 35 observations he was able to rule out 17 as being man made. The remaining 18 have not been explained. He thinks it to be an atmospheric electrical phenomenon, but the earthquake trigger mechanism is unknown.

Getting closer to home there were two earthquakes about 2 ½ minutes apart on 04/09/1961, where EQL were observed by Reese Dooley, a poultry rancher living south of Hollister. This is about 14 miles from where I live. Both quakes (5.6, 5.5Ml) were on the San Andreas fault and were located just off of Cienega Road. In this case the lights were seen as discrete sources against a hill rather than as the more commonly observed general sky luminosity. Nason, personal communication, inspected the hillside and found no electrical wiring or any other conventional explanation for the lights.

Dr. Derr also advised me that EQL have been seen in the Pinnacles National Park located about 15 miles south of the 1961 earthquakes. Most of the quakes that occur in the Pinnacles area are not much bigger than popcorn quakes. At least nothing of the size you would want to write home about.

EQL were also seen during the 1969 Santa Rosa, California quake. The lights were seen extensively over the Santa Rosa area and described in terms of lightning or electric sparks, Saint Elmo’s Fire, fireballs or meteors. Some people also heard sounds like explosions. Just how many reports were of genuine EQL and how many were caused by earthquake affects on man-made objects cannot be determined.

Oh yea. Almost forgot. Wasn’t able to find any connection between EQL and ear tones. There may be one, but darned if I can find it.

Hope I haven’t bored anyone. Take Care…Don in creepy town