Scientists debunk claims that Alaska research caused deadly Colombian quake

A magnitude-7.4 earthquake hit western Colombia, resulting in a death toll of at least 270 and widespread destruction. Posts on social platforms alleged that the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Alaska triggered the disaster, a claim that scientists have refuted. The U.S. Geological Survey identified strike-slip faulting in the Pacific region, part of the seismically active Ring of Fire, as the cause.

Northwestern University seismologist Suzan Van der Lee noted the quake's depth of 110 km, which is far deeper than any human-induced tremor. HAARP, operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, uses upward-directed radio transmitters to study the thermosphere and ionosphere, not the Earth's crust. Geophysicist Dean Whitman highlighted that the energy released dwarfs that of the largest hydrogen bombs and far exceeds HAARP's output. Ongoing rescue efforts continue as regional aid arrives.