Rare Blue Flash in Avalanche Captured on Camera: A Phenomenon That Shakes Up Scientists (VIDEO)

Under the vast night sky of the Sichuan mountains, rare and mesmerizing event unfolded before Chinese astrophotographer Shengyu Li’s lens. On 27 October 2024, while capturing star trails above Mount Xiannairi, Li’s camera recorded an unexpected blue flash of light during an avalanche. This extraordinary occurrence has sparked fascination among scientists and photography enthusiasts, shedding light on the elusive phenomenon of triboluminescence, where light emerges from the friction or fracture of materials. But let’s explain everything step by step.

Physics Caught On Camera

Shengyu Li had set up his camera to record the star trails over Mount Xiannairi, a task that requires patience and precision. However, the night took an unexpected turn when a blocky serac, an unstable block of ice, broke free from a hanging glacier near the mountain’s peak. This sudden event triggered a small avalanche, and as the ice and snow tumbled down, Li’s camera captured a series of blue flashes that were not visible to the naked eye during the event

The Science of Triboluminescence Explained Simply

A rare blue flash of light caused by cracking ice might seem mysterious, but it’s not a new phenomenon. Victor Petrenko’s 1996 scientific paper Electromechanical Phenomena in Ice explains that the flash happens because of an electrical field naturally present in ice, both in the sea and freshwater. This field is called a “frozen-in” or “intrinsic” electrical field.

“This electrical field is generated by spatial nonuniformity in the concentration of ions dissolved in the ice bulk,” Petrenko writes. In simpler terms, uneven amounts of dissolved ions create the field as these tiny charged particles move around inside the ice. When the ice cracks, this electrical field can release energy, creating a flash of light – like the one captured in Li’s photo.

In science terms, the blue flashes observed during the avalanche are believed to be caused by triboluminescence, a phenomenon where light is emitted when certain materials, such as ice, undergo mechanical stress like fracturing, scratching, or rubbing. This process involves the breaking of chemical bonds within the material, creating energy in the form of photons (light). When ice is fractured, the sudden separation of surfaces can generate electrical charges, which can ionize the surrounding air or excite the material itself, leading to visible light emission.

Previous Sightings

This is not the first time such a phenomenon has been observed, although it is one of the most well-documented cases. Just a few weeks earlier, on 3 October, astrophotographer Lu Miao captured a similar event on Muztagh Ata mountain in Xinjiang, China.

Both incidents highlight the rarity and intrigue of this natural light display. Li’s initial hypothesis, supported by experts, is that the luminescence results from friction-induced lighting during the fragmentation of ice. However, Li says he and his fellow photographers didn’t initially notice it “with our naked eyes.” Instead, he says, it showed up later when he was reviewing his photos.