Taylor Swift caused a Swiftquake in the US
According to reports from the New York Times (NYT) and CNN on the 28th (local time), measurements revealed that vibrations occurring at the concert venue of American pop star Taylor Swift rival a magnitude 2.3 earthquake.
Seismologists stated that during Taylors Swift’s performance at the Lumen Field, a stadium in Seattle, Washington, with a capacity of 70,000 people, vibrations equivalent to a magnitude 2.3 earthquake were detected at a nearby observatory from the 22nd to the 23rd.
Jackie K. Caplan-Auerbach, a geology professor at Western Washington University, said, “We obtained data from both concerts held over two days, and we could immediately see that they had the same signal pattern. When you overlay the two data sets, they almost match.”
The “Swiftquake” is reported to be stronger than the so-called “Beast Quake,” which was observed during a 2011 NFL Seattle Seahawks game at the same location. The “Beast Quake” occurred when star player Marshawn Lynch made an impressive touchdown, causing the audience to cheer all at once.
During that time, vibrations were also detected on the same seismometer that recorded Swift’s concert vibrations, but it registered as a magnitude 2.0 earthquake. While the “Swiftquake” and the “Beast Quake” differ by only 0.3 in magnitude, the intensity is roughly twice as strong, considering the logarithmic scale used to measure earthquake magnitude, where a 10-fold increase in amplitude corresponds to a 1-unit increase in magnitude.
Seismologists attribute the vibrations not only to the music at the concert but also to the “Swifties” (Taylor Swift’s fans) dancing along to the songs.
Caplan-Auerbach further explained that in terms of the duration of ground shaking, the Swifties surpassed the Seahawks fans. While the cheers after a touchdown last for a few seconds and then subside, the concert’s randomness extends for about 10 hours, as Swift’s concert data was collected for that long. He pointed out that all the energy from the music, speakers, beats, and more could shake the ground.
Indeed, those present at the concert testified that they could literally feel the ground shaking beneath their feet, as reported by CNN.
Swift herself seemed to have fully experienced the passionate energy of the Seattle fans. On the 24th, she expressed gratitude on Instagram, saying, “Thank you for all the cheers, screams, jumps, dances, and singing at the top of your lungs. It was the best weekend so far.”
After a five-year break from concert tours, Swift’s performances across various locations in the US have drawn massive crowds of fans, boosting the local travel and tourism industry and generating significant economic impact.
Following six concerts in Los Angeles next month, Swift will continue her world tour, starting in Mexico.
Source: daum
