Taylor Swift’s concert in downtown Seattle created a seismic event. According to seismologists, the concert shook the ground so hard that it registered signals on nearby seismometers equivalent to a magnitude 2.3 earthquake. About 70,000 people attended the concert, and the intense vibrations were likely caused by the music from the stadium sound system and Swift’s enthusiastic fans, known as Swifties, dancing in sync with it.
“It’s certainly the biggest concert we’ve had in a while,” said Mouse Reusch, a seismologist at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, which monitors earthquake activity in the Pacific Northwest. “We’re talking about 70,000 people and all the music and paraphernalia associated with the concert.”
The shaking was even more intense than the seismic activity generated by the 2011 “Beast Quake,” when Seattle Seahawks fans celebrated a last-minute touchdown. The Swift Quake was recorded by the same seismic station that measured the Beast Quake, and it exceeded the magnitude recorded during the football event by 0.3, making it twice as strong on the logarithmic Richter scale.
The concerts in Seattle took place on July 22 and 23, with a near-identical pattern recorded on the seismometer for both nights. The shaking peaked twice, first around 8:30 p.m., and then around 10:30.
Although the Swift Quake drew much attention, it’s worth noting that seismometers can pick up signals from various sources, including cars, trains, wind, and other things that shake the ground. The Weeknd’s concert at the same venue last year also generated some seismic activity, although it was not as strong as Swift’s.
In the end, the event drew public attention, and seismologists were encouraged. They hope that the Swifties who witnessed the event are inspired to pursue careers in seismology or earth sciences.
“It’s certainly the biggest concert we’ve had in a while,” said Mouse Reusch, a seismologist at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, which monitors earthquake activity in the Pacific Northwest. “We’re talking about 70,000 people and all the music and paraphernalia associated with the concert.”
The shaking was even more intense than the seismic activity generated by the 2011 “Beast Quake,” when Seattle Seahawks fans celebrated a last-minute touchdown. The Swift Quake was recorded by the same seismic station that measured the Beast Quake, and it exceeded the magnitude recorded during the football event by 0.3, making it twice as strong on the logarithmic Richter scale.
The concerts in Seattle took place on July 22 and 23, with a near-identical pattern recorded on the seismometer for both nights. The shaking peaked twice, first around 8:30 p.m., and then around 10:30.
Although the Swift Quake drew much attention, it’s worth noting that seismometers can pick up signals from various sources, including cars, trains, wind, and other things that shake the ground. The Weeknd’s concert at the same venue last year also generated some seismic activity, although it was not as strong as Swift’s.
In the end, the event drew public attention, and seismologists were encouraged. They hope that the Swifties who witnessed the event are inspired to pursue careers in seismology or earth sciences.
