We’re not only reigning Super Bowl champs and the most spirited fans in the NFL, we’re helping University of Washington seismologists study earthquakes.
This week, scientists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network will install instruments in CenturyLink to “provide real-time monitoring of the stadium’s movement during the 2015 NFL playoffs.” So you won’t think you feel the earth move, you’ll know it.
The UW scientists say they have better tools than ever before to measure the Beast. QuickShake will provide a faster connection between sensors and their monitoring website, about three seconds, making readings five to 10 times faster than before.
The findings will help seismologists better detect real earthquakes and provide earlier warnings for the public in the event of the real thing.
“We’re mostly interested in the speed and the reliability of the communications,” said John Vidale, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences and director of the seismic network, in a release. “It’s hard to simulate thousands of people using this tool all at once. When we can get a lot of people looking, we can see problems that we’d encounter during an actual earthquake.”
If you don’t happen to remember, the first Beast Quake was caused by Marshawn Lynch’s Jan. 8, 2011, touchdown run, when scientists noticed the vibrations caused by the stadium at a sensor a block away.
They’re planning to test it this Saturday for the Seahawks game against the Carolina Panthers, so get ready to unleash your inner Beast. It’s for science, after all.
