Buckeyes Produce Literal Earthquakes During Games

We live in Ohio and earthquakes are not something we are often concerned about, it’s a natural disaster that doesn’t fit our location. California sure, but here? No way. Well Ohio Seismologists have been monitoring Buckeye games to measure the seismic energy generation by all that Buckeye enthusiasm. Next up? The Ohio State-Michigan game.

“(Administrators) are always looking for any way to make a connection between academics and the athletics department,” said Wendy Panero, an associate professor of earth sciences at Ohio State to The Dispatch. “This just sort of fell in their lap. It brings science to where the public is.”

The team of seismologists span from Ohio State, Miami University and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and they’re expecting the project endure over the years.

To measure these “earthquakes,” the researchers installed two sets of seismometers at opposite ends of the Ohio Stadium. They’ve recorded bleacher vibrations at four home games so far according to The Dispatch.

So far, the largest earthquake produced by the Buckeyes occurred during the Nov. 5 game against Nebraska, when Curtis Samuel caught a 75-yard touchdown pass in the second half.

108,000 generated a 5.2 on the earthquake scale, which is about the same amount of energy that an actual earthquake would release 6 miles below ground. No need to worry, these fan-generated earthquakes aren’t a threat to anyone (except opposing teams.)

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