After Mexico scored a goal to defeat defending champions Germany in their opening World Cup match on Sunday, a tweet suggesting that celebrating fans had triggered an “artificial earthquake” in Mexico City went viral.
But according to experts, no such earthquake occurred.
“The earthquake detected in Mexico City was artificial in origin. Possibly caused by mass jumping during Mexico’s World Cup goal. At least two sensors in Mexico City detected it at 11:32,” said the tweet, by an institution calling itself SIMMSA — the Department of Seismology and Volcanology of the Institute for Geological and Atmospheric Research.
The story of the “earthquake” caused by jubilant Mexican fans was picked up by media outlets around the world.