Will o' the Wisps and Related Phenomena

[Recusant]

Figuring out the ignition source for one variety of the "swamp gas" lights.

"The Strange Science Behind Ghostly Lights That Have Haunted Us For Centuries" | Science Alert

Ghostly lights dancing in midair in swamps, forests, and even graveyards have been reported by cultures all over the world, for centuries. According to a new study, there could be a logical explanation after all: a strange form of 'microlightning'.

Often called will-o'-the-wisps, jack-o'-lanterns, or ignis fatuus, these bizarre floating flames have understandably inspired many a colorful back story. They're sometimes explained as the spirits of the dead, or lanterns carried by lost souls doomed to roam the land forever after tricking the Devil.

But what is the science behind this fanciful folklore? More grounded explanations have included pockets of swamp gas that spontaneously ignite, but they shouldn't be able to spark up without a clear trigger.

Now, a study led by Stanford University chemists suggests that microlightning could be to blame. These tiny bolts of electrical energy could form in electric fields where gases meet liquids, then jump between bubbles of different charges and ignite methane gas.

[Continues . . .]

The paper is open access:

"Unveiling ignis fatuus: Microlightning between microbubbles" | PNAS

Abstract:

Will-o'-the-wisps, ghostly blue flames seen at night in marshlands and long attributed to methane cool flames, have remained scientifically unexplained, a mystery caused by the lack of a known ignition mechanism.

Here, we demonstrate that spontaneous electrical discharges, termed "microlightning", can occur between rising methane-containing microbubbles in water. High-speed optical imaging reveals brief flashes between charged bubbles, arising from strong electric fields at curved gas–liquid interfaces. These discharges initiate nonthermal oxidation of methane, producing luminescence and measurable heat under ambient conditions.

Our findings offer a scientific basis for ignis fatuus and reveal a general mechanism by which electrified interfaces can drive redox reactions in natural environments without the need for external ignition sources.

[zorkan]

whenever I go to Cannock Chase, Staffordshire I pick up on stories like this.
This is the land of forest, UFO sightings, pig-men, black eyed children, werewolves and even Bigfoot.
Sounds plausible to explain the UFO sightings.
Methane gas from old coal mines bubbles up to the surface.