Could Somerville's ghost lantern be an earthquake light?

(a) Numerical calculation of the spatiotemporal distribution of radon water vapor and/or radon/methane concentration in the atmosphere for an effective density of 0.6 kg/m3 and a velocity of 0.1 m/s at 150 s. After being released from the surface of the Earth. (b) A model explaining the change in cloud color. Credit: Earthquake Research Letters (2025). doi: 10.1785/0220240442

Legend has it that the strange orb sometimes seen hovering above the railroad tracks in the backcountry around Summerville, South Carolina, is a lantern carried by the ghost whose husband lost his head in a train accident.

But Susan Hough, a seismologist with the USGS, wonders if there's a less intriguing but no less interesting possibility: Is the source of Somerville's light a phenomenon known as quake lights?

Seismic lights have been observed around the world, in the form of glowing balls, sparks, plumes and other shapes, but there is no accepted theory yet among seismologists about the possible mechanism behind their appearance.

Some proposed mechanisms include ignition of released underground gases such as methane or radon, or dielectric degassing from fault movements, as Japanese seismologist Yuji Enomoto explained in a 2024 review paper.

In her “Earthquake Lites” column in Earthquake Research Letters, Hogue explains why Summerville's mix of shallow faults, railroad tracks and ghost stories may offer an unusual clue to seismologists searching for faults in the eastern United States.

In recent years, Hough has worked extensively with Roger Pelham at the University of Colorado, Boulder, to identify the fault responsible for the famous 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake. Summerville, located about 25 miles northwest of Charleston, was part of their study area.

Hough began wondering about the possible earthy origins of ghost lights after reading a USGS newsletter for Halloween week that contained links to “scary scientific” studies.

“It sparked, so to speak, an idea I had in mind while working in Charleston, which I had never given much thought to,” Hough said. “What about those ghost stories from Summerville?”

Hough began researching accounts of the light found in newspapers and books from local libraries, as well as data on earthquakes in the area. It found that the Somerville Light sightings apparently began in the 1950s and 1960s, within a few kilometers of three 3.5- to 4.4-magnitude earthquakes that occurred in 1959 and 1960.

If the Somerville phenomenon was a seismic flash, shallow earthquakes in the area may have released a water-soluble gas such as radon or methane that was then ignited by a spark of static electricity or rock movement, Hogg suggested.

Although the railroad next to Summerville Light was not in service during the time of the ghostly sightings, the steel rails of the abandoned line and nearby piles of scrap could also have generated a flaming spark, she said. “From my work in Charleston, I know that when old tracks are replaced or repaired, the old tracks are not always moved. You find piles of old metal along the tracks.”

She added that gases trapped in water droplets may also help explain why these stories of ghost lights appear on dark, foggy nights.

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Hogue cautioned that this scenario, as well as the proposed mechanism for calculating earthquake lights, is still speculative. She indicated that it is possible to test the hypothesis by using gas detectors to search for leaking gases, or by conducting experiments to search for shallow faults.

But she noted that ghost stories could be a useful, if unusual, way to search for unknown seismic zones in areas with low seismic activity. Eerily similar ghost stories have been found in other areas, including near Wilmington, North Carolina.

“There are a lot of faults in the eastern United States, but the trick is knowing which ones are active,” Hough explained.

“Maybe we have here an example of a recipe for environments that might generate seismic lights. Perhaps friendly ghosts are lighting up fault zones to the east.”

More information: Susan E. Hough, The Haunted Somerville: Ghostly Lights or Earthquake Lights?, Earthquake Research Letters (2025). doi: 10.1785/0220240442

Provided by the Seismological Society of America

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