SMART NEWS

Seattle Seahawks Fans Caused an Earthquake This Week

Seattle fans take pride their stadium and ability to be loud. But to anyone’s knowledge, the 12th Man causing an earthquake is a first

Rose Eveleth

Contributor

December 5, 2013

Seattle Seahawk Fans Call Touchdown — Courtesy of Flickr user Bernie Zimmermann

Football announcers love describing players as "forces of nature," but it might actually be the fans who exert the most force. This past Monday, when the Seattle Seahawks faced off against the New Orleans Saints, Seahawks fans actually caused a minor earthquake.

The Seattle Times reports:

Seahawks fans jumping up and down during Monday night’s 22-yard Michael Bennett fumble return for a touchdown registered about a magnitude 1 or 2 earthquake.

They call the crowd at CentiryLink Field the "12th Man," but this is the first time that man has caused an earthquake that anybody knows of. People aren't generally sensitive enough to feel earthquakes that small; seismographs are. (For comparison, a 2.6 magnitude quake in Ireland this week rattled some doors.)

What people are sensitive to, though, is noise. Seattle has long been proud of their stadium and fans ability to be loud. And not only did Seattle fans make the earth shake, they also made each other deaf. Fans apparently set a noise record of 137.6 decibels, according to KIRO-TV.