[Saba Sports News] According to a report by Norway’s seismic monitoring agency NORSAR, during Norway’s 4-1 World Cup victory over Iraq, seismometers at the University of Bergen recorded noticeable ground vibrations every time Norway scored, especially when Erling Haaland found the back of the net. The strongest seismic reading coincided with Haaland’s goal.
NORSAR stated on its official website that distinct seismic signals were captured at multiple pivotal moments throughout the match, proving that large crowds can independently generate measurable seismic activity. Seismologist Anne Jenkins offered an explanation. The team scanned for signals in both Oslo and Bergen, with far stronger readings detected in Bergen due to a mix of factors, most crucially the distance between monitoring equipment and cheering crowds. The Oslo seismograph is situated in Bryndalen, while Bergen’s device sits at a university campus right in the city centre — a detail that likely accounts for the more prominent vibrations registered there.
Jenkins also revealed a comparable phenomenon occurred during Ed Sheeran’s Oslo concert in the summer of 2024, where tens of thousands of attendees created quantifiable ground tremors.
In my view, this phenomenon does not constitute an actual geological earthquake. Instead, it is an intriguing scientific anecdote: highly sensitive seismographs picked up collective ground vibrations caused by thousands of fans jumping and cheering in unison, vividly illustrating the profound social impact of major sporting events.