IN OUR THANKSGIVING POLL THAT WE SHOWED YOU EARLIER, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT A SIZEABLE PERCENTAGE – 22% OF YOU – VOTED THAT YOU WERE MOST THANKFUL FOR FOOTBALL. AND A LOT OF YOU WROTE TO US MENTIONING THIS GAME – THE OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN FOOTBALL GAME – AS THE ONE YOU WERE MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO. WELL, THE BUCKEYES CERTAINLY GAVE YOU SOME THRILLING FOOTBALL LAST SATURDAY. IN WHAT MANY ARE CALLING ONE OF THE GREATEST GAMES IN THE HISTORY OF THIS RIVALRY, THE NUMBER-TWO-RANKED OHIO STATE BUCKEYES MANAGED SQUEAK OUT A VICTORY IN DOUBLE OVERTIME!
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT BUCKEYE FANS THROUGHOUT THE STATE ERUPTED IN CHEERS WHEN CURTIS SAMUEL MADE THAT FINAL 15 YARD TOUCHDOWN FOR THE WIN – BUT WERE THEIR CHEERS AS POWERFUL AS AN EARTHQUAKE?
A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS FROM OHIO STATE, MIAMI UNIVERSITY, AND THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AIMED TO FIND OUT – THEY MEASURED THE SEISMIC WAVES GENERATED BY THE STOMPING, BOUNCING CROWDS IN OHIO STADIUM IN COLUMBUS.
SEISMIC WAVES ARE WAVES OF ENERGY THAT USUALLY COME FROM EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS, OR EXPLOSIONS – BUT, IN THIS CASE, THEY’RE COMING FROM SCREAMING FANS!
THE RESEARCHERS ARE CALLING THE PROJECT THE “FANQUAKE,” AND USING THE SAME TOOLS SCIENTISTS USE TO MEASURE EARTHQUAKES, THEY’RE RECORDING BLEACHER VIBRATIONS TO MEASURE FAN MOTION. IN ADDITION TO SATURDAY’S GAME AGAINST MICHIGAN, THE TEAM HAS MEASURED FOUR HOME GAMES.
Instructional Links
Map: IRIS, Seismic Monitor
Activity: PBS Kids, Build Seismic Shakeup
http://pbskids.org/designsquad/build/seismic-shake-up/
Website Article & Video: Kids Science Challenge, Maggie Glasscoe, Seismology