Taylor Swift’s Scotland concert literally had the Earth shaking

Swifties are shaking things up, literally. Fans at Taylor Swift concerts are dancing so hard that it is triggering seismic activity. Yes, you read that right. During her recent Eras Tour shows in Scotland, the crowd energy was so high that it caused detectable seismic waves, recorded by instruments miles away. 

The UK’s National Earthquake Monitoring Agency subsequently provided an update on the event.

The British Geological Survey described Swift’s Friday concert, attended by 73,000 fans, as “the most energetic,” recording 23.4 nanometers (nm) of movement.

This surpassed the measurements of “22.8 nm and 22.3 nm observed on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.”

According to the agency, vibrations were detected nearly 6kms away from the concert venue. 

The agency clarified that the instrument used to detect seismic activity is specifically designed to identify even the slightest movements from considerable distances. 

“The vibrations generated by the concert were unlikely to have been felt by anyone other than those in the immediate vicinity,” they added.

Taylor Swift tracks that caused tremors

The exuberant crowd at Taylor Swift’s Edinburgh shows danced so hard that it made the ground shake-up. According to reports, tremors were felt especially during Swift’s three mega-hits: Shake It Off, …Ready For It? and Cruel Summer.

The crowd’s synchronised dance moves created the maximum energy when Swift belted out …Ready For It? The song is known for its fast tempo and reports suggest that the crowd’s energetic moves generated as much energy as a bunch of car batteries! 

“The crowd transmitted about 80 kilowatts of power, or about the amount of power created by 10 to 16 car batteries, according to BGS.”

Taylor Swift’s concerts and mini-earthquakes

This isn’t the first time that Taylor’s fans have shaken things up. This UK tour, estimated to draw in over 1.2 million concertgoers, will wrap up with a record-breaking eight nights at London’s Wembley Stadium. 

Back in 2011, fans of NFL player Marshawn Lynch caused tremors strong enough to register on a seismometer during a game, earning him the nickname “Beast Quake.”

Taylor Swift stops Edinburgh gig, refuses to continue until her fan gets help

That record was broken soon after during Swift’s Seattle gig. Her concert at Seattle’s Lumen Field triggered vibrations that were picked up by the same seismometer, proving that music, not just football, can shake up the earth. 

That’s not all. The Eras Tour’s visit to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium in August generated equivalent vibrations from 70,000 fans in the stands. The song You Belong with Me produced the highest local magnitude, registering at 0.849 as per CBS.