Unusual red sky lights up Caracas after quake VIDEO

Earthquake-triggered atmospheric conditions and Saharan dust may have combined to produce the striking red sky seen over Venezuela's capital region.

Residents of Caracas and the neighbouring coastal state of La Guaira shared images on social media showing the sky glowing deep red shortly after sunset on June 30, prompting speculation about the cause of the unusual display, VTV reports.

Experts said the phenomenon can be explained by Rayleigh scattering, an optical effect that occurs when large quantities of dust and microscopic particles become suspended in the atmosphere. Following an earthquake, fine dust and debris released into the air can filter sunlight, allowing longer red and orange wavelengths to dominate the sky at sunset.

The effect may have been intensified by existing atmospheric conditions, including dust carried across the Atlantic from the Sahara and local weather patterns, which increase the concentration of airborne particles.

Scientists also pointed to the much rarer phenomenon known as earthquake lights (EQL), which has been documented in some seismic events. Unlike the red sky caused by atmospheric scattering, earthquake lights are believed to result from electrical charges generated when certain types of rocks fracture under intense tectonic stress, producing flashes or luminous glows in the sky before or during an earthquake.

Researchers stress that the two phenomena are unrelated, despite both occasionally producing reddish or glowing skies. While atmospheric scattering is a well-understood optical effect, earthquake lights remain an uncommon geophysical phenomenon that is still being studied.

Authorities have not linked the red sky directly to any hazardous conditions, and experts say such displays are a natural consequence of specific atmospheric or geological processes rather than a sign of impending disaster.