Taylor Swift’s concerts in Seattle’s Lumen Field caused a phenomenon known as the “Swift Quake,” as her passionate fans created enough noise and movement to rock the ground beneath them for four straight hours. Although not an actual earthquake, the event caught the attention of geologists and pop fans alike. The seismic activity was reminiscent of the “Beast Quake” in 2011 during an NFL playoff game, where the crowd’s enthusiastic response to a touchdown caused ground movement registered by a seismometer.
Geology professor Jackie Caplan-Auerbach analyzed the data from the seismometer and confirmed that Taylor Swift’s concerts caused a stronger and longer shake-up than the “Beast Quake.” The occurrence provides valuable information for understanding how buildings respond to shaking and how seismic energy propagates through the geology, contributing to earthquake resilience in building design.
The interest in seismology and geology sparked by this investigation was seen as encouraging by Caplan-Auerbach, as it helped demystify the scientific process and engaged people in scientific inquiry. Further research will focus on pinpointing the exact causes of the seismic activity during the concerts, including factors like jumping and dancing by fans, loud speakers, or specific songs. Swift’s dedicated fans, known as “Swifties,” have been contributing valuable videos and insights to aid in the research, and Caplan-Auerbach may even find herself becoming a Swiftie after studying the songs from the concert in detail.