Science Shocker: Taylor Swift Songs Caused Mini Earthquakes At Her Concerts!
Scientists discover Taylor Swift’s music is so powerful, her concerts caused earthquake-like tremors they call “SwiftQuakes”! 🤯🎶 #TaylorSwift #SwiftQuakes #Seismology #MusicIsPower
Winona, Minnesota – Taylor Swift is known for shaking things up with her record-breaking music, but at her recent concerts, she was literally making the earth move under fans’ feet! That’s right, scientists discovered that the pop superstar’s shows were triggering seismic activity they dubbed “SwiftQuakes.” So which of her chart-topping hits had Swifties dancing hard enough to rattle the planet? Read on to find out!
Swifties Were Jumping for Joy—and Making the Ground Shake
When viral videos showed Swift’s concert in Seattle registering on a nearby seismograph in July, it caught the attention of the California Office of Emergency Services. Naturally, they wanted to investigate this fascinating phenomenon further. So they reached out to researchers at the California Institute of Technology and hatched a plan.
For Swift’s sold-out shows at LA’s SoFi Stadium in early August, scientists set up special seismic sensors in and around the venue. They also monitored earthquake meters within a 5-mile radius, since the stadium sits right on top of a major fault line capable of powerful magnitude 7+ quakes! Talk about a risky place to rock out!
But have no fear, Taylor was not triggering the “Big One” with her soaring vocals and infectious beats. After analyzing the data, scientists determined it was the 70,000 fans jumping and dancing in synchronized excitement that was responsible for the tremors.

The Biggest Shakers: Taylor’s Top 5 Earth-Rattling Hits
So which of Swift’s many smash songs had fans shaking it off hard enough to create the strongest seismic activity? According to the researchers, her top 5 “SwiftQuakes” during the show were:
- Shake It Off – Magnitude of 1.798.
- You Belong With Me – Magnitude of 1.796.
- Love Story – Magnitude of 1.76.
- Cruel Summer – Magnitude of 1.71.
- 22 – Magnitude of 1.64.
Incredibly, the tremors from “Shake It Off” alone were equivalent to a magnitude 2.0 earthquake! Now that’s some serious fan power. Hehe. The scientist leading the study, seismologist and amateur musician Gabrielle Tepp, said she could even identify most of the individual songs just by looking at the seismic readings—the telltale patterns were that distinct for 43 out of the 45 tunes Taylor performed.
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Tepp was surprised to discover it was really the synchronized jumping of fans, more so than the thumping bass, that was needed to generate the strongest seismic shaking. She even tested it herself, dancing to Swift songs next to a motion sensor. (For science, of course.) The results don’t lie!
Not All Music Shakes the Same
Interestingly, when Tepp compared the “SwiftQuakes” to tremors from a Metallica concert, she found the heavy metal band triggered much weaker seismic signals. So I guess science has finally proved what your girl Kitty has known all along: Taylor rocks harder than Metallica! Hehe.
Seriously though, researchers theorize this may be because metal fans tend to headbang and move more chaotically to the beat, while pop fans jump up and down in a steadier rhythm—especially with Swift’s carefully choreographed shows.
One thing’s for sure: Taylor Swift’s music has a seismic impact, and us fans are a force of nature! There’s no denying her power to move people—and the earth itself.
🗣 Are you a Swiftie? What’s your fave Tay tune? We’d LOVE to hear from you in the comments section below. ⬇️