An unexpected “earthquake” was recorded by a seismologist in Seattle recently. However, the culprit of this earthquake was not the movement of tectonic plates; It was the Swifties’ (Taylor Swift fans) Shake It Off.
“Swift Quake” caused by Taylor Swift concerts was recorded by seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach and made Seattle Seahawks fans’ 2011 “Beast Quake” sound like just a rumbling, CNN reports.
The beauty of science 🙂
Taylor Swift fans ‘Shake It Off,’ causing record-breaking seismic activity during Seattle shows equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquakehttps://t.co/55f5FXafjF pic.twitter.com/QlAR4Qvdq2— Ali Noorani (@ali_noorani_teh) July 28, 2023
Caplan-Auerbach says the Swifties’ jolt is twice that of the Seahawks and has a much more rhythmic pattern of ups and downs, which is the result of the fans as well as the music itself. Seismographs measure the motion of the Earth in earthquakes, when tectonic plates capture and release large amounts of energy by creating friction. But the concussion, called Swift Quake, is due to Taylor Swift.
It’s not the first time Swift fans have been in the news during the latest Eras tour, with fans arriving at a concert in Denver being reportedly visible from space. Satellite imagery showed the Mile High stadium packed with over 70,000 fans and typical Swift fan dedication.