Social media users are falsely blaming the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Alaska for a recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia. Experts confirm the earthquake was caused by natural seismic activity along the Pacific Ring of Fire, not human endeavors.
This story addresses the spread of misinformation regarding natural disasters and the scientific capabilities of research programs, highlighting the importance of relying on expert analysis over unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.
A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday has been falsely attributed to the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Alaska by social media users. The conspiracy theory claims HAARP, which studies the upper atmosphere, caused the seismic event.
However, experts have debunked these claims, stating that the earthquake was a natural occurrence caused by strike-slip faulting within the Earth's crust. The region where the earthquake occurred is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for frequent seismic activity. Seismologists emphasize that the earthquake's depth of 110 kilometers is far beyond the reach of any human activities that could trigger seismic events, such as gas extraction or wastewater injection, which typically cause much shallower earthquakes.
HAARP, operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks since 2015, uses high-frequency radio transmitters to study the thermosphere and ionosphere. Conspiracy theories surrounding HAARP have persisted since its construction in the 1990s, with false allegations including mind control and weather manipulation. Geophysicists have stated there is no scientific basis for HAARP causing earthquakes, noting the immense energy released by the earthquake far exceeds HAARP's capabilities and that its equipment is directed upward, not toward the Earth's crust.