Taylor Swift fans trigger UK earthquake monitors during Eras Tour concert in Edinburgh
Swifties danced so hard at one concert they caused the earth to move and during one song they created enough power equivalent to about 6000 car batteries.
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Taylor Swift concerts are well-known for fresh three-hour set lists, whopping costume changes and huge sellout crowds,
but now they’re starting to be recognised for something else; its seismic activity.
After concertgoers made the earth move at Taylor Swift gigs in Seattle and Los Angeles last year, Swifties have done it again — this time during the 34-year-old’s Edinburgh leg of her Eras Tour.
Fans literally shook it off – but not because of Scotland’s cold weather – during her three shows last weekend, with earthquake monitoring stations detecting seismic activity from 6km away.
The most intense activity was recorded during three songs: Cruel Summer, Ready For It? and Champagne Problems.
The Friday night crowd was the loudest of the three gigs, with the 73,000 who attended that evening making the ground move a maximum of 23.4 nanometres (nm), compared to 22.8nm and 23.3nm on the Saturday and Sunday respectively.
According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), the UK’s national earthquake monitoring agency, the seismic activity was mainly caused by dancing and reached its peak at 160bpm during Ready For It?
Quake it off! Seismometers around Edinburgh were triggered by the rapturous Taylor Swift crowds at Murrayfield Stadium over the weekend.https://t.co/IW7693CPRnpic.twitter.com/LWZ5of4ZHH
— British Geological Survey (@BritGeoSurvey) June 13, 2024
Swifties created approximately 80kW of power during the song, equivalent to about 6000 car batteries.
Swift’s previous tour dates in Seattle and Los Angeles registered similar events, with her Seattle gig generating activity equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.
Callum Harrison, BGS seismologist, said: “It’s amazing that we’ve been able to measure the reaction of thousands of concert goers remotely through our data.
“The opportunity to explore a seismic activity created by a different kind of phenomenon has been a thrill.
“Clearly Scotland’s reputation for providing some of the most enthusiastic audiences remains well intact!”
Swift put on a brave show as she performed through freezing temperatures of between 8-10C in Scotland last weekend.
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Originally published as Taylor Swift fans trigger UK earthquake monitors during Eras Tour concert in Edinburgh