This possibility is very interesting:
"5. Earthquake lights
Earthquake lights are an often reported anomaly that occurs often before/during/after heavy earthquakes. Until a few years ago often reported as UFO's, since the 1960's scientifically accepted as a side-effect of earthquakes in various forms and colors.
I have received a very interesting document from a highly regarded scientist specialized in (electro-)magnetic discharges of the atmosphere into the earths curst and vice versa. More research is done as we speak, and its cutting edge science with probably little or no proof. But it could provide a valuable report and a possible explanation for mysterious lights
Proof for:
- Earthquake lights are often seen during tectonic and seismic activities. Massive seismic activities during the weeks, days and especially hours before. Both Iceland, San Francisco and Chile experienced heavy earthquakes.
- Massive earthquake in Papua New Guinea (further South in the Ring of Fire) at 11:15:50 UTC August 24th (same day and time) , a few minutes before seeing the red glowing lights, a few minutes after seeing the bright white flash. Even though far away, this could have caused a 'reversed spike' in the atmospheres magnetic charge and have caused a large discharge in the atmosphere's upper ionization layers. Never observed before, but theoretically possible. Like a South and North pole on a magnet, the earths atmosphere might have an up and downcharge of its energy in case of severe magnetic changes. Still highly hypothetical.
- Both West-Greenland and Alaskan official magnetometers (sensors sensing changes in the Earth magnetic field) have sensed massive disruptions in the earths magmatic field up to an hour to minutes before, and exactly during the sighting of the red lights over the Pacific.
- Large amount of solar activity and massive Aurora Borealis before and after our sighting, indicating big charges of the ionosphere of the earths upper atmosphere
- Records of mysterious (red) lights in the sky go back to around 1000 yrs before Christ, the best recorded event the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 and for the first time filmed in the 1960's in Japan. Since then often seen and recorded, though scientific evidence has not yet been provided.
- Could explain the flash of light since flashes of lights (even high up into the atmosphere) are often associated with earthquakes and earthquake lights.
- This area, South of Russia, was the location of the deepest earthquake known to Man back in 2012 and documented back in May 2014, which COULD have caused a potential weakening in the earth crust magnetic properties causing a downpeak in the energy flow.
Problems with Earthquake lights;
- Lights were shining continuously and probably for a long period of time (at least 30 minutes without changing luminescence, likely much longer).
- Earthquake lights are still very unknown but appear to shine only for a few minutes maximum. So many, extremely bright lights would indicate an extremely strong down peak of ionization, never observed before.
Verdict; could have great potential and seems likely. More research is being done.