Thursday, September 3, 2009

Just Swamp Gas

Where in every hollow there lurks
A hundred wrymouthed wisps.
- Dafydd ap Gwilym, "On A Misty Walk"



Happy to report that there just might be more to swamp gas than we've been told.

The fabled will-o’-the-wisp and jack-o’-lantern are said to be manifestations of swamp gas. However, since methane does not ignite spontaneously, we suddenly find that this phenomenon of nature has become more phenomenal. Sounds redundant, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not nearly as redundant as using a mystery to explain away other mysteries. So, to account for the will-o’-the-wisp how does the gas ignite to provide the necessary flame?

Read more.

2 comments:

The Captain said...

So, if its not self-igniting then it must be spooks or fairy folk.

Rot said...

Indeed ; )