Experiments in Sports Seismology for the World Cup

Recently, PNSN welcomed a camera crew from Football Case Study to the SeismoLab to provide seismological context for their portrait of Lumen Field—which is now transforming to “Seattle Stadium” to host six World Cup matches in Seattle. Watch it here:

Our field crew installed six seismic sensors throughout the stadium back in January, ahead of the NFL playoff games. These instruments record the structural shaking created by tens of thousands of fans jumping and cheering in unison. The stations are located on the ground floor tunnel by the pitch itself, on all four corners of the stadium’s 300 level, and up at the top of the Hawks Nest. They join our permanent station KDK, which is located across the street and recorded the original Beastquake back in 2011.

PNSN also previously deployed seismic instruments during Seahawks playoff games in 2014, 2015, and 2017, and at T-Mobile Park for the Mariners home games during American League Division Series in 2025. These experiments are a fun way to inform the public about how we record ground motions from seismic and volcanic activity across the region—and a reminder that we live in earthquake country.

Check to watch the live seismic data throughout the tournament! We’ll also share some visuals and highlights on our PNSN social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, X.com, Bluesky, YouTube, and TikTok.