IEA MISSIONS

BACKGROUND: Professor Erling Strand brings more than 20 years of experience to the International Earthlights Alliance project. He leads Project Hessdalen, a research project conducted by Ostfold College in Norway. Project Hessdalen has implemented a permanent automated monitoring station, that makes automated video observations of lights in the Hessdalen Valley while continuously measuring geophysical and weather conditions. Real-time data from the station are available at  http://hessdalen.hiof.no

Marsha Adams brings more than 20 years of experience in geophysical monitoring to the IEA project. She has run a geophysical monitoring stations in California for the purposes of earthquake forecasting research since 1981. In addition to permanent stations, for many years, she has also investigated the geophysical parameters of Sacred sites in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Scotland using a portable monitoring station. After successfully videotaping anomalous lights in Marfa Texas she became interested in the application of geophysical monitoring technology to the investigation of geophysical parameters of earth lights. In May of 2002 Strand and Adams became aware of each other’s research and began collaborating. They have assembled two portable monitoring stations. The missions below describe the ongoing research efforts using the portable stations to solve the mystery of the lights.

RESEARCH HISTORY PRIOR TO IEA PROJECT: Adams has made several exploratory missions to the American Southwest including Marfa Texas, New Mexico and Southern AZ. She first investigated reports of recurring lights at a ranch in Campo CA. The ranch owners had observed flashes and balls of light in the area of their 200ft driveway turn around. They had kept a detailed log of the events. Adams made VLF, magnetic and ionizing radiation measurements in the driveway area. Radiation levels in the driveway were above background and a large circular pattern of radiation intensity was found in the driveway where lights were reported. VLF electromagnetic anomalies also existed. Adams also statistically compared the incidence of reported lights to prevailing geophysical conditions and certain aspects of solar activity. However, no lights were observed by Adams during her several visits to the Campo site.

After reviewing an eyewitness report of a close encounter with an orange light that split multiple times a few hundred yards from a reliable observer in Southern AZ, Adams visited the site several times with various observers. She obtained anomalous geophysical measurements and video documentation of lights that remain unexplained. Among the most interesting videotapes were balls of orange light that appeared overhead moving erratically, a large overhead purple-green meteor-like object, several moving night time lights near a distant river bed, and two minutes and forty seconds video of a brilliant scintillating light that disappeared on camera in a river bed during the daytime. She also videotaped a brilliant light that moved rapidly along the horizon then appeared to break up into numerous points of light. After confirming that these anomalous lights which appear worldwide, could be photographed and physically monitored she deemed them worthy of scientific study. The IEA project was begun in the spring of 2002.

Professor Erling Strand began his investigations after reports of anomalous lights occurring in the Hessdalen Valley, Norway in 1983. He is one of the founders of Project Hessdalen. He had the scientific responsibility during field investigations in the Hessdalen valley in 1984 and 1985. Due to the continuing occurrence of anomalous lights in Hessdalen valley, he started the new Project Hessdalen in 1993. He is currently the Director of the new Project Hessdalen, which set up a permanent automated monitoring station five years ago in 1998. The monitoring station continues to be under development. Today it consists of five CCD cameras, two magnetometers, one VLF receiver and a weather station.

In early May of 2002, Strand and Adams decided to collaborate, combing their knowledge, and expertise towards solving the mystery of the lights. They also share the larger vision of using earthlights as a mechanism to teach science to students and demonstrate that science can be fun and user friendly. They have now set up two portable monitoring stations one for Europe and the other for the USA. The equipment is identical and interchangeable so that the equipment can be combined in either location and the knowledge of operating the equipment is standardized. They are presently conducting research missions for the dual purpose of investigating lights, and also seeking active earthlight areas where additional permanent stations may be deployed.

IEA MISSION LIST
(major missions boldface)