Major cracks in theory linking HAARP to Vanuatu earthquake

Kate Atkinson December 20, 2024
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Earthquake-hit Vanuatu sits along a seismically active area known as the the Ring of Fire. Image by EPA PHOTO

WHAT WAS CLAIMED

The HAARP ionospheric research facility is linked to the earthquake in Vanuatu.

OUR VERDICT

False. The radio waves emitted by HAARP can't cause earthquakes or natural disasters.

AAP FACTCHECK - Social media posts have falsely linked the recent deadly earthquake in Vanuatu to a research facility located in Alaska. 

Many users have suggested the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) had a role in the quake which struck the Pacific island nation on December 17, 2024.

But experts say the research facility cannot trigger natural disasters. 

The magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred 30 kilometres off the coast of Efate, the main island of Vanuatu, causing damage across its capital city Port Vila.The National Disaster Management office confirmed nine deaths, with more than 200 people injured.