Hi Roger Musson and thanks for responding.

Maybe you did not read my first post when I mentioned that I had only seen lightning here in Taichung, Taiwan on one occasion in the last two years. I don't know that there is a relationship, or what it is, but it seems that it is possible.

Back in the 1820's, did they also know that lightning travels from the ground to the clouds?

You made my point for me with your comment about Cameroon. Maybe if we had a little more lightning here in Taichung, we wouldn't have as many earthquakes.

"Lightning is one of the most common and least
understood phenomena in meteorology." quoted from Nova Online Teacher's Guide
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachersguide/lightning/

I'm starting to develop a theory that makes about as much sense as the plate theory. The tectonic plate theory did it for me for a while (and does make sense,) but thinking of earthquakes in this way, none of the "precursors" seem to be reliable. Maybe it is time for a fresh look at things?? If it is possible to come up with a theory that makes just as much sense, it is just as possible but not supported nearly as well. It seems both earthquakes and lightning are not exactly understood all that well.