FIFA'18: How Mexicans' celebrations triggered an artificial 'earthquake'?
There are celebrations and then there are celebrations of Mexican fans, that caused an earthquake (literally). After Mexico upset Germany in their first match in ongoing football World Cup in Russia, the fans danced and jumped so much, that an earthquake of magnitude 3 was triggered. But how did it happen? Here's understanding the reason.
First things first: Why is defeating Germany a big deal?
Defeating Germany, the defending champions, in Russia mattered to Mexico. For one, the country never advanced beyond the quarterfinals. Secondly, the mood in Mexico is toxic ahead of elections on July 1. Polls will be held for 3,400 posts including the presidency. Various local, state and federal posts will go to elections too. Amid the grim campaign, the win gave Mexicans something to celebrate.
Mexicans revelry shakes the earth, literally, but they didn't care
Thousands of Mexicans thronged to Zocalo, the capital's main square, and danced like no one was watching. The state said by mid-afternoon around 75,000 had gathered and after clinching the match from Germany, the number increased multi-fold. They shouted "Mexico! Mexico", the cars honked, and families left their homes to show their love for the country's football team. Then, the Earthquake got triggered.
The victory gave us chance to celebrate, says one fan
"This victory matters because it gives us the opportunity to express the joy we all carry inside as Mexicans, which we were unable to release and express due to all the bad news, the politics, the natural disasters," said Lucía Colunga, a housewife.
This is the moment Mexico fans went hysterical
Did fans really cause the earthquake? Experts weighed in
At 11:32 local time, Seismic monitoring agency Simmsa said two sensors detected earthquakes at Mexico City. An investigator with the Institute of Geophysics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico claimed scattered activity of fans couldn't have caused the earthquake. However, Institute of Geologic and Atmospheric Investigations said the 'artificial earthquake' was caused by jumping. But it added it wasn't a geological event.
Authorities even released footage to prove earthquake
Apparently, 'Quake Celebration' has been a thing
An artificial quake was recorded 30 years ago during a football match between Louisiana State and Auburn. The particular game earned the name "The Earthquake game." In 2016, when Leicester City's Leonardo Ulloa scored a last-minute goal against Norwich, 30,000 fans jumped to make a movement strong enough that was recorded on Richter Scale. It's safe to say, the 'quake celebration' definitely trumps all.
