As the opera progressed, poles and other objects started pushing through and piercing the surface.

NEWYORKER: Man Behind the Curtain

By simply piercing the surface of the water, you set off an energy force within the body of water that extends outward, impacting anything it touches.

FORBES: You Lead By Virtue Of Who You Are

Many of them question whether cultural phenomena, including destruction layers, cultural-piercing features (man-made structures displaced by surface rupturing, e.g. viaducts), structural damage to buildings, indications of repairs, historical accounts and myths can be reliably used as earthquake indicators.

UNESCO: Tales set in Stone: learning from ancient earthquakes