Swifties Cause ‘Swift Quakes’: Seismic Activity of 2.3 Magnitude Earthquake at the Eras Tour

'Swifties' aka Taylor Swift's fans created history on July 22nd and 23rd at Seattle’s Lumen Field by causing a geological phenomenon equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake with their loud singing and dancing at the Eras Tour. According to Western Washington University geology professor and seismologist Jackie Caplan -"Auerbach, the 'Swift Quakes' rivaled the legendary 'Beastquake' of 2011." "I grabbed the data from both nights of the concert and quickly noticed they were the same pattern of signals. If I overlay them on top of each other, they’re nearly identical," Caplan-Auerbach revealed after comparing the two seismic events. The Lavender Haze hitmaker was performing to a sold-out 144,000 fans during the live concert. 

"The main difference between the July 22 and July 23 shows, aside from the surprise songs Swift is known to perform, makes up roughly 26 minutes. I asked around and found out the Sunday show was delayed by about half an hour, so that adds up” Caplan-Auerbach said. She continued, “The shaking was twice as strong as ‘Beast Quake’. It absolutely doubled up," hence the only difference between the two seismic activities is a difference of 0.3 magnitude.

Caplan-Auerbach explained further - “The primary difference is the duration of shaking. Cheering after a touchdown lasts for a couple of seconds, but eventually, it dies down. It’s much more random than a concert. I collected about 10 hours of data for Taylor Swift where rhythm controlled the behavior. The music, the speakers, the beat. All that energy can drive into the ground and shake it.” Concluding while sharing her admiration for Swift and science, the geology professor said - “What I love is to be able to share that this is science” she said, adding that “it doesn’t have to happen in a lab with a white coat. Everyday observations and experiences are science.”

CNN’s Chloe Melas, who attended one of the Eras Tour concerts, revealed - “Going to Taylor’s concert in Seattle was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “You could literally feel the ground shaking beneath your feet. My ears are still ringing.” The Dear John songstress also confirmed the electrifying atmosphere witnessed during the Seattle show in her Instagram post with a series of photos from the event - "Seattle that was genuinely one of my favorite weekends ever. Thank you for everything. All the cheering, screaming, jumping, dancing, singing at the top of your lungs." She added - “That was genuinely one of my favorite weekends ever." 

Swift performs at Santa Clara in Northern California on Friday, and from there, the Eras Tour continues with six shows in Los Angeles next month, ending the tour's US leg. The Eras Tour then goes international with the first show in Mexico City on August 24. 

References:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12349469/Taylor-Swift-fans-cause-equivalent-2-3-magnitude-EARTHQUAKE-raucous-dancing-Eras-Tour-expert-brands-phenomenon-Swift-Quakes.html

https://nypost.com/2023/07/28/taylor-swift-fans-generate-equivalent-of-a-2-3-magnitude-earthquake/

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/27/entertainment/taylor-swift-seismic-activity/index.html