The most intense rumble came after Seahawks' defensive end
Michael Bennett recovered a fumble by New Orleans' quarterback
Drew Brees in the first quarter and ran it back for a touchdown,
said John Vidale, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic
Network at the University of Washington.
The cheering and foot-stamping at CenturyLink Field was picked
up by a seismometer used by the network, which monitors ground
motion in Washington and Oregon.
It measured between magnitude 1 and 2, Vidale said, and it was
too small to be traced by the U.S. Geological Survey. Bennett's
touchdown was the first of four by Seattle in their 34-7 win.
"Every time the Seahawks scored a touchdown, there was a
(seismic) signal," said Vidale, whose network has its
headquarters at the University of Washington's Department of
Earth and Space Sciences.
The rivalry between the Seahawks and the Saints has caused
tremors in the past.
The seismometer also registered the January 8, 2011, celebration
of Marshawn Lynch's 67-yard touchdown run, which sealed a 41-36
playoff victory over the Saints.
[By Karen Brooks]
(Reporting by Karen Brooks in Austin, Texas;
editing by Scott
Malone, Cynthia Johnston and David Storey)
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