HAARP causes earthquakes
| HAARP causes earthquakes | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Alaska is a secret weapon used to trigger earthquakes, hurricanes and other disasters." | |
| Domain | Disasters & Emergencies |
| Tactic | Conspiracy Theory Pseudoscience / Junk Science |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 1990s |
| Origin | Conspiracy books and websites from the 1990s; revived after major earthquakes such as Haiti in 2010 and Turkey–Syria in 2023 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Disasters & Emergencies | |
HAARP is a research facility near Gakona, Alaska, that uses a field of antennas to study the ionosphere, the electrically charged upper atmosphere. Since the facility was built in the 1990s, it has been blamed for earthquakes, storms and other disasters. Its transmitters affect a small region of the upper atmosphere temporarily and cannot affect tectonic plates or weather.
The claim
After the February 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, viral posts showed flashing lights in the sky and claimed HAARP had caused the quake.
What the evidence shows
- What it does. HAARP, operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks since 2015, beams radio energy upward into the ionosphere. It holds open houses for the public.
- No mechanism. Earthquakes release energy stored over long periods in faults deep underground. Radio waves in the upper atmosphere cannot reach or trigger them.
- Earthquake lights. Lights seen around earthquakes are often electrical arcs from damaged power lines.
See also
Sources
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute, "HAARP Frequently Asked Questions."
- Associated Press, "Posts falsely claim HAARP caused earthquake in Turkey and Syria," February 2023.