Lumen Field in Seattle is known for being one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, and the noise level caused seismic activity last weekend. This time, however, the cheers were not from fans cheering Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch as he bowled over defenders. Instead, it was the result of a Taylor Swift concert.
Swift visited Lumen Field for her "Eras Tour" and caused enough commotion that it registered the equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach. On Sunday, the concert and the Swifties were so loud that the seismic activity topped the legendary 2011 "Beast Quake" by a magnitude of 0.3, Caplan-Auerbach told CNN.
"The primary difference is the duration of shaking," Caplan-Auerbach said. "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."
The "Beast Quake" occurred in the 2011 NFC Wild Card round when the Seahawks were hosting the New Orleans Saints. Late in the fourth quarter, with Seattle clinging to a four-point lead, Lynch got the ball and broke nearly 10 tackles on a 67-yard touchdown run.
That run ignited the fans and sent what was then-Qwest Field into a frenzy. Apparently, the only thing that can make that stadium any louder is a good rendition of "Anti-Hero."
