A new study reveals that ground vibrations were significantly reduced in cities across the United States and Canada during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The researchers presented their findings at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting, showing that urban areas within the “path of totality” were temporarily seismically quiet as the moon completely blocked the sun.
Benjamin Fernando, a seismologist and planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University, happened to be in the Ohio city during the event. “And then all of a sudden I realized that everything was really quiet,” he said. “So we were interested in seeing if that could be replicated in seismic data.”
How human activities shape seismic noise
Earthquake noise is not only caused by natural phenomena. Much of it comes from everyday human activities such as construction, mining, transportation, and large gatherings such as concerts and sporting events. All these actions create small vibrations that are transmitted to the ground.
To study the effects of the solar eclipse, Fernando analyzed seismic data collected from hundreds of stations throughout April 2024. The results revealed a clear and reproducible pattern associated with solar eclipses.
Clear pattern in totality
In cities along the path of totality, seismic noise rose slightly just before the eclipse peaked. When the Sun was completely covered, its vibrations dropped sharply. Once the total tide ended, activity returned and noise levels rose again to slightly above the monthly average.
This pattern was restricted to urban areas directly in the path of totality. Similar effects were not seen in rural areas, and similar effects were seen in cities just outside the route. “For example, in New York it was 97% and nothing changed,” Fernando explained.
A shared moment that pauses daily life
This discovery suggests that the eclipse was more than just a visual spectacle. In cities where it was fully visible, people seemed to suspend their normal daily lives, and human-generated vibrations were visibly lowered. Cities typically experience a certain level of ground shaking, so even temporary slowdowns can be easily detected.
A similar effect was observed during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, with anthropogenic seismic noise decreasing by 50% from March to May of that year due to reduced human activity.
There is no connection between solar eclipses and earthquakes
This study also helps address common misconceptions. There are also claims that solar eclipses can cause earthquakes due to the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth. But the data doesn’t support that idea.
“For some reason, people sometimes push the theory that solar eclipses cause earthquakes,” Fernando said. “That’s simply not the case. This is yet another proof of that.”
