Hovering blue flames that flicker over bogs and marshes have inspired ghostly folktales for centuries. Known as “will-o’-the-wisp,” “jack-o’-lantern,” “corpse candle” and “ignis fatuus” (“foolish fire ...

Bubbles merging in water can spontaneously generate electric sparks powerful enough to ignite methane, which could explain mysterious flashes of light known as will-o’-the-wisps. In bogs, swamps and ...

Deep beneath the Arctic permafrost and ocean sediments, a massive reservoir of methane, often referred to as a “time bomb,” poses a significant threat to our climate. This potential for rapid release ...