Solar eclipse study reveals drop in human seismic noise during totality
Recent research shows that human-generated seismic noise drops sharply during a total solar eclipse as daily routines pause, though eclipses do not trigger earthquakes.
When the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun to block its bright disk, the resulting alignment is often accompanied by persistent myths. Among them is the recurring social media speculation that celestial alignments can trigger earthquakes. However, fresh scientific research demonstrates that while eclipses do not cause tectonic upheaval, they produce a measurable and distinct impact on the ground beneath our feet. According to a study presented at the Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, everyday human activity pauses sharply during the peak of a total solar eclipse, causing a noticeable drop in anthropogenic seismic noise.
The research provides new insight into how closely human behavior influences subtle ground vibrations. Seismologists and planetary scientists regularly detect seismic noise generated by daily human routines, including traffic, industrial work, construction projects, mining operations, concerts, and sporting events. During the celestial event, however, those vibrations drop sharply as normal life briefly halts.
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The investigation was led by Benjamin Fernando, a seismologist and planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. While witnessing the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, in Ohio, Fernando noticed an unexpected calm as totality arrived. I noticed that all of a sudden everything went really quiet,
he said, according to reporting by Forbes. Prompted by that observation, Fernando analyzed seismic recordings collected throughout April 2024 from several hundred monitoring stations across North America.
The data revealed a clear and repeatable trend in urban areas located directly within the path of totality. Seismic activity rose slightly just before totality as crowds gathered to watch the sky, but plummeted during the brief minutes when day turned to twilight. Following totality, seismic noise quickly rebounded — and even climbed above the monthly average — as people resumed traveling and daily routines.
Key findings from the eclipse seismic study
- Seismic noise generated by human activity dropped sharply during totality in urban areas located directly within the path of totality.
- Rural locations showed little change in seismic readings during the event.
- Cities outside the path of totality, including urban centres experiencing very deep partial eclipses, such as New York at 97% totality, did not display the same seismic pattern.
- Researchers found zero evidence linking the eclipse to natural seismic activity or the triggering of earthquakes.
The phenomenon was strictly limited to urban locations that experienced complete totality. Rural locations recorded little change, and cities outside the path failed to display the same seismic pattern. For example, in New York it was 97% totality, but nothing changed,
Fernando explained, as cited by Forbes. The findings suggest that experiencing complete totality encourages populations to simultaneously pause their daily routines.
The research directly challenges persistent misconceptions. Folks for whatever reason sometimes push the narrative that eclipses cause earthquakes,
Fernando noted. That’s definitely not the case, and this is another demonstration of that.
The study arrives as regions prepare for upcoming celestial alignments. A total solar eclipse is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 12, visible from a 180-mile-wide path of totality crossing eastern Greenland, western Iceland, and northern Spain. In the path of totality, day will briefly turn to twilight, and the sun's corona will become visible around the moon for up to 2 minutes 18 seconds. Totality will last longest just off the west coast of Iceland, one of the most seismically active places on Earth where the Icelandic Meteorological Office registers between 20,000 and 26,000 earthquakes annually. The upcoming event marks the first total solar eclipse visible from Iceland since 1954 and from Spain since 1905, while mainland Europe has not experienced a total solar eclipse since 1999.
