Erling Haaland’s first-half double for Norway in Tuesday’s 4-1 World Cup win over Iraq literally shook the Nordic country, with seismology institute NORSAR registering earth tremors in the coastal city of Bergen when he scored on his tournament debut.
The giant striker rattled home his first goal in the 29th minute – Norway’s first at a World Cup since 1998 – and added a second before halftime in Boston, causing outbreaks of joyous celebration in his homeland where the game started at midnight.
“On Wednesday night, the seismic station in Bergen recorded clear signals near the station from the World Cup match between Norway and Iraq. The largest fluctuations coincide with Erling Braut Haaland’s goals, which triggered strong cheers among Norwegian supporters,” NORSAR said in a statement.
“The clearest effects are seen in connection with the Norwegian goals, especially Haaland’s two goals. The signals are probably due to cheers and movements among Norwegian supporters who were watching the match in Bergen,” the statement went on.
“When many people react simultaneously to big sporting moments, the combined movements can create vibrations in the ground that are recorded by sensitive seismometers.”
The institute said that the measurements were an indication of both the Norwegians’ joy over their team scoring at the World Cup and the sensitivity of modern seismology equipment.
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“So even though Norway didn’t trigger an earthquake against Iraq, the cheering of Norwegian fans made the seismic measuring equipment in Bergen shake a little extra,” they said.