Mexico’s Victory Over Ecuador Made the Ground Shake. Was It an Artificial Earthquake?
Seismologists explain that vibrations caused by mass cheering or jumping at sporting events are not true earthquakes, as they lack a geological origin. While these events can be detected by sensors, they are distinct from human-induced seismic activity like fracking or construction.
Why it matters
Clarifying the terminology helps the public distinguish between harmless crowd-induced vibrations and actual geological seismic threats.
The seismic alert system noted on its social media accounts that “the outburst of euphoria and mass cheering produced vibrations in the local area.” A similar phenomenon occurred during Mexico’s debut against Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Mexico’s Institute of Geological and Atmospheric Research reported that, following Hirving Lozano’s winning goal a seismic signal of artificial origin was detected, “possibly caused by mass jumping” by the fans.
The article relies on scientific definitions and expert consensus to explain a phenomenon.
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