{"id":127186,"date":"2026-08-03T14:51:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/?p=127186"},"modified":"2026-08-03T14:52:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:52:45","slug":"from-soil-to-the-brain-science-explains-why-people-feel-earthquakes-differently","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/from-soil-to-the-brain-science-explains-why-people-feel-earthquakes-differently\/","title":{"rendered":"From Soil to the Brain.. Science Explains Why People Feel Earthquakes Differently"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The earthquake felt by residents of Cairo and several other Egyptian governorates sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many people saying they clearly felt the tremor, while others reported noticing no shaking at all, despite being in the same city\u2014or even in nearby neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

Seismologists explain that this variation in how people perceive earthquakes is both natural and common. Feeling an earthquake is not determined solely by its magnitude but by a combination of geological, engineering, and biological factors, ranging from the type of soil through which seismic waves travel, to the design and height of buildings, and even the way the brain and nervous system respond to vibrations.<\/p>\n

Seismic Waves, Soil, and Buildings.. Factors That Determine Perceived Intensity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When an earthquake occurs, seismic waves spread in all directions, but they do not reach every location with the same intensity. Their speed and strength vary depending on the type of rock and soil they pass through. As a result, residents of one area may experience stronger shaking than those in a neighboring area, and vibration levels may even differ between two streets in the same city, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).<\/p>\n

Soil type is one of the most significant factors influencing how an earthquake is felt. Soft clay and sandy sediments tend to amplify seismic waves, whereas areas built on solid bedrock experience much less amplification\u2014a phenomenon scientifically known as “soil amplification.” Studies by the British Geological Survey (BGS) and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) indicate that this effect can significantly increase shaking intensity in certain locations compared to nearby areas.<\/p>\n

The issue does not stop at the ground itself. Buildings also respond differently to earthquakes. High-rise buildings tend to sway more than low-rise structures, meaning occupants of upper floors usually feel shaking more strongly than those on lower floors. Building materials, structural flexibility, and engineering design also influence how much vibration is transmitted inside a structure, according to the USGS.<\/p>\n

Daily Activity and Brain Response Explain Different Experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In addition to geological and engineering factors, what a person is doing at the moment an earthquake occurs plays an important role in whether they notice it. Someone sitting or lying down in a quiet place is generally more likely to detect vibrations, whereas a person driving, walking outdoors, or engaged in physical activity may not notice them because surrounding movement can mask the shaking. Likewise, deep sleep may prevent some individuals from feeling short or moderate earthquakes.<\/p>\n

The distance from the earthquake’s epicenter and the depth of its focus also affect how strongly a person experiences the shaking. Shallow, nearby earthquakes generally produce stronger sensations than more powerful earthquakes occurring at greater depths or farther away, according to the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.<\/p>\n

Researchers also emphasize that the human nervous system does not respond to vibrations in the same way for everyone. Some individuals are highly sensitive to subtle movements, while others require stronger shaking before they notice it. Factors such as concentration, background noise, stress, and psychological state also influence how the brain interprets signals from the body’s balance organs and sensory systems, as noted by research from the Seismological Society of America (SSA).<\/p>\n

In some cases, a person may not consciously feel the ground moving but may instead experience dizziness, nausea, or a loss of balance due to the effect of seismic waves on the balance system in the inner ear. This phenomenon has been documented by studies conducted by the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and other research examining the neurological effects of earthquakes.<\/p>\n

Experts stress that people’s differing responses to earthquakes reflect a complex interaction between the earthquake’s characteristics, local soil conditions, building design, a person’s location and activity during the event, and individual differences in nervous system sensitivity. This explains why earthquake monitoring centers receive thousands of reports after every tremor from people who felt it, while many others insist they noticed nothing.<\/p>\n

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Egypt early Monday morning and was felt across Cairo, Giza, and several other governorates, according to the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), which reported that the epicenter was located 38 kilometers from the city of Suez at 3:01 a.m. local time. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) estimated that approximately 66 million people were within the area where the earthquake could be felt.<\/p>\n

Following the earthquake, the Cairo Governorate announced the first reported structural damage: a partial collapse of a four-story residential building in the Rod El Farag district. Authorities confirmed that three families living in the building were evacuated as a precaution and relocated to stay with relatives, while the site was fully secured. No injuries or fatalities were reported, and field inspections continue to ensure the safety of buildings and infrastructure.<\/p>\n

United News Network \u2013 UNN Arabic<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Author:<\/strong> Counselor Faisal Al-Mutairi<\/p>\n

Publication Date:<\/strong> August 3, 2026<\/p>\n

Last Updated:<\/strong> August 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The earthquake felt by residents of Cairo and several other Egyptian governorates sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many people saying they clearly felt the tremor, while others reported noticing no shaking at all, despite being in the same city\u2014or even in nearby neighborhoods. Seismologists explain that this variation in how people perceive earthquakes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"tmauthors":[74],"class_list":{"0":"post-127186","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-breaking-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127186"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":127188,"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127186\/revisions\/127188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127186"},{"taxonomy":"tmauthors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/un-news.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tmauthors?post=127186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}