Taylor Swift Concerts Cause Seismic Activity, Scientists Measure Energy of Swifties

Taylor Swift’s concerts cause seismic activity, with "Shake It Off" and "You Belong with Me" generating the most energy in California.

On August 5, 2023, during Taylor Swift's Los Angeles Eras Tour concert at SoFi Stadium, a group of scientists from the California Institute of Technology observed earthquake-like signals. Following seismic activity during Swift's previous concerts in Seattle, the research team set up motion sensors to better comprehend the causes of "concert tremor."

Calculating Concert Tremor Energy

The team collected vibrations from motion sensors placed near and inside the stadium, as well as from regional seismic network stations. They successfully detected 43 out of the 45 songs performed during Swift's concert. By calculating the energy radiated during each song at the Los Angeles concert, the researchers were able to interpret each as a local magnitude of an earthquake. According to their study published in Seismological Research Letters on March 13, the most energetic signals were generated during the songs:

  • "Shake It Off" with a local magnitude of 0.851
  • "You Belong with Me" with a local magnitude of 0.849
  • "Love Story" with a local magnitude of 0.800
  • "Cruel Summer" with a local magnitude of 0.741
  • "22" with a local magnitude of 0.645

It is important to note that the energy released during each song is over a few minutes, unlike the short duration of an earthquake, resulting in a much lower magnitude.

The Primary Source of Concert Tremor Signals

According to Gabrielle Tepp, a staff seismologist at the Caltech Seismological Laboratory, crowd motion was identified as the primary source of the concert tremor signals, as opposed to the speaker system and instruments.

Comparison with Other Concerts

The researchers also analyzed concerts by other artists at SoFi Stadium in the summer of 2023, including performances by Morgan Wallen, Metallica, and Beyoncé. The study found that the results from these concerts were similar to those from Taylor Swift's concerts, supporting the audience-source hypothesis. Although the local magnitude of the songs from the other concerts was in the same range as Swift's, none matched or exceeded the strongest signal generated during her performance.

Record-Breaking Eras Tour

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has achieved numerous records, notably becoming the first tour to gross over $1 billion, as reported by Pollstar. Following a brief break, the tour is set to resume on May 9 in Paris after the release of Swift's eleventh studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on April 19.

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