‘Swifties’ caused a ‘Swift Quake’ of 2.3 Magnitudes, twice as strong as ‘Beast Quake,’ during the singer’s concert in Seattle.
Seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach reported that Taylor Swift’s fans, also known as Swifties, caused some seismic activity dubbed “Swift Quakes” during the singer’s Eras Tour dates at Seattle’s Lumen Field on July 22 and 23.
The intense dance movements by the enthusiastic Taylor Swift’s fans resulted in seismic readings equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, as per CNN’s coverage of the event.
Saturday’s concerts witnessed record-breaking attendance.
The Western Washington University geology professor, who was moderating a Pacific Northwest earthquake group on Facebook, observed the incidents.
She mentioned, “I grabbed the data from both nights of the concert and quickly noticed they were clearly the same pattern of signals. If I overlay them on top of each other, they’re nearly identical.”
‘Swift Quakes’ Doubles the ‘Beast Quake,’ Says Seismologist
Caplan-Auerbach highlighted that a comparable phenomenon occurred in the seaport city during the “Beast Quake” of 2011. This earthquake-like activity was triggered by the exuberant response of Seattle Seahawk fans to Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch’s extraordinary touchdown during the NFC Wild Card game against the New Orleans Saints.
However, the Swifties outperformed the NFL fans in seismic impact. “The shaking was twice as intense as the ‘Beast Quake.’ It absolutely doubled it,” she explained.
“The primary difference is the duration of shaking,” the professor conveyed to CNN. “Cheering after a touchdown lasts for a couple seconds, but eventually it dies down. It’s much more random than a concert. For Taylor Swift, I collected about 10 hours of data where rhythm controlled the behavior. The music, the speakers, the beat. All that energy can drive into the ground and shake it.”
Although Caplan-Auerbach is exhilarated about the prospect of embracing the Swiftie fandom, her primary motivation lies in demystifying science.
“What I love is to be able to share that this is science” she remarked, emphasizing that science isn’t confined to laboratories with white coats. Everyday observations and experiences are scientific in nature.
CNN’s Chloe Melas, who attended one of Taylor Swift’s Seattle concerts, shared her firsthand encounters as a concertgoer. “Going to Taylor’s concert in Seattle was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” she expressed. “You could literally feel the ground shaking beneath your feet. My ears are still ringing.”
Taylor Swift herself acknowledged the incredible energy exuded by her West Coast Swifties and extended her gratitude to the Seattle audience in a Monday Instagram post. She thanked them for “all the cheering, screaming, jumping, dancing, and singing at the top of your lungs.”