After two exhilarating nights of dancing at Swift’s “Eras” tour concert in Seattle’s Lumen Field, enthusiastic fans, affectionately called Swifties, generated seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, as reported by seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach.
The seismic event, playfully dubbed the “Swift Quake,” drew comparisons to the 2011 “Beast Quake,” a notable incident caused by the eruption of Seattle Seahawks fans celebrating an impressive touchdown by running back Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch. Interestingly, both the “Swift Quake” and the “Beast Quake” were detected on the same local seismometer, Caplan-Auerbach informed CNN.
Caplan-Auerbach, a geology professor at Western Washington University, came across the comparison in a Pacific Northwest earthquake group she administers on Facebook. Intrigued, she analyzed the data from both nights of the concert and discovered strikingly similar patterns in the seismic signals.
The primary difference between the two shows, aside from Swift’s surprise song choices, amounted to approximately 26 minutes. This discrepancy was attributed to a half-hour delay in the Sunday show, as Caplan-Auerbach found out through her investigation.
Although the magnitude difference between the “Beast Quake” and the “Swift Quake” was only 0.3, the Swifties’ seismic impact outperformed that of the Seahawks fans. According to Caplan-Auerbach, the shaking during the Swift concert was twice as strong as the “Beast Quake.”
Caplan-Auerbach explained that the key distinction lies in the duration of the shaking. Cheering after a touchdown lasts only a few seconds, gradually subsiding, while the concert’s rhythmic energy, emanating from the music, speakers, and beat, continued for about 10 hours, vigorously affecting the ground.
Beyond the scientific significance, Caplan-Auerbach is thrilled about the opportunity to promote science to a broader audience, demystifying it and showcasing that everyday observations and experiences can be scientific in nature.
CNN’s Chloe Melas, who attended one of Swift’s Seattle concerts, shared her personal experience as a concertgoer. She described the event as unlike anything she had ever experienced before, with the ground literally shaking beneath her feet, and her ears still ringing from the energetic atmosphere.
Even Taylor Swift herself acknowledged the exuberance of her West Coast Swifties and expressed her gratitude to the Seattle audience through an Instagram post, appreciating all the cheering, screaming, jumping, dancing, and singing that made it one of her favorite weekends ever.
Swift’s “Eras” tour is nearing its end within the United States, with upcoming shows in Santa Clara, Northern California, and a six-show run in Los Angeles next month before embarking on the international leg, starting with a show in Mexico City on August 24. Throughout the tour, Swift has received credit for boosting local economies and achieving various milestones, such as breaking attendance records in Pittsburgh.