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A mechanism to explain the generation of earthquake lights

Abstract

Explanations of how earthquake lights might arise have failed to show how large charge densities can be concentrated and sustained in a conductive Earth. A physical model is proposed, based on frictional heating of the fault, that solves this and related problems.

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Lockner, D., Johnston, M. & Byerlee, J. A mechanism to explain the generation of earthquake lights. Nature 302, 28–33 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/302028a0

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