Name: Quillupangui Caiza Irvin Marcelo Neptun code: U667MC

1) How the light phenomenon develops?

There are many theories about how light develops during an earthquake, e.g., phenomena
related to auroras, ionospheric phenomena, noctilucent clouds (clouds composed of ice crystals
and meteorite smoke dust), rapid spark discharge, solar magnetic processing, etc. this theories
try to explain the shapes, duration and even the color of the light during and after a seismic
event.

The widely accepted theories are that earthquake lights are generated by the increase of
electrical charge in the ground due to the friction of soil grains as the earth moves or the release
of energy from bedrock as tectonic plates break apart.

These theories are supported by the fact that earthquake light does not appear in all seismic
events, nor in all places where an earthquake occurs, so it apparently depends on the magnitude
of the seismic event, and the area where it occurs (soil type).

2) Why do we have earthquakes away from the tectonic plate boundaries?

Earthquakes could be sorted according to their source of origin and their proximity to the limits
or boundaries between tectonic plates as follow interplate or intraplate.

Interplate earthquakes are those that occur directly associated with the contact between
tectonic plates, this seismic activity is usually of considerable magnitude.

Intraplate earthquakes are those that occur as internal deformation of the plates. They can occur
anywhere there are active geological faults. These earthquakes are less common and generally
of lower magnitude.

Sources:

 Derr, John S. "Earthquake lights: a review of observations and present theories." Bulletin of
the Seismological Society of America 63.6-1 (1973): 2177-2187.
 Derr, John S., et al. "Earthquake lights." Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, Encyclopedia
of Solid Earth Geophysics 5 (2011): 165-167.
 Leyton, Felipe, et al. "Intraplate and interplate earthquakes in Chilean subduction zone: A
theoretical and observational comparison." Physics of the Earth and Planetary interiors
175.1-2 (2009): 37-46.