Taylor Swift wasn’t the only one shaking in Edinburgh at her recent concert as geological experts have confirmed that the attendees at the event caused measurable tremors across the area.
According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), fans of the megastar caused the ground to literally shake while watching her perform live in the Scottish capital last week. The British Geological Survey (BGS) revealed on its website that earthquake readings were recorded nearly four miles from Murrayfield Stadium, where the singer performed for three nights—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—as part of her Eras Tour.
Monitoring stations across the city recorded the activity during all three performances. The BGS stated, “Each of the three evenings followed a similar seismographic pattern, with ‘…Ready For It?’ ‘Cruel Summer’ and ‘Champagne Problems’ result in the most significant seismic activity each night.”
Analysis of the seismograph data showed that the most “enthusiastic dancing” occurred on the evening of Friday, June 7, although the crowds on each night produced significant readings, according to the BGS.
Comparison of seismic activity across Taylor Swift’s concert nights
It further added, “While the events were detected by sensitive scientific instruments designed to identify even the most minute seismic activity many kilometers away, the vibrations generated by the concert were unlikely to have been felt by anyone other than those in the immediate vicinity.”
The BGS reported that the activity reached a peak of 160 beats per minute (bpm) during ‘…Ready For It?,’ with the crowd generating approximately 80 kW of power—comparable to the output of 10 to 16 car batteries. It further added, “Based on the maximum amplitude of motion (the distance the ground moves), the Friday night event was the most energetic by a small margin, recording 23.4 nanometers (nm) of movement, versus 22.8 nm and 23.3 nm on the Saturday and Sunday, respectively.”
Scottish Rugby, the stadium’s owner, reported that nearly 73,000 fans attended the first night, making it the largest stadium concert in Scottish history. Swift’s performance surpassed Harry Styles’ previous record of 65,000 fans from last summer. Each subsequent night set a new record, breaking the one from the night before. The Eras Tour, with Swift performing in 22 countries across 152 dates, is on track to become the highest-grossing tour ever.
Callum Harrison, a seismologist at the BGS, stated on the organization’s website, “The BGS is the national body responsible for recording earthquakes to inform the government, public, industry, and regulators, allow for a greater understanding of earthquake risk, and plan for future events. It’s amazing that we’ve been able to measure the reactions of thousands of concertgoers remotely through our data. The opportunity to explore a seismic activity created by a different kind of phenomenon has been a thrill.”
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