HAARP

Since the goal of HAARP is to operate a research facility where high quality ionospheric research can be conducted, we provide some general comments about the need for and nature of this research. We begin with a discussion of some specific research areas that are being studied at the HAARP observatory and the corresponding benefits to society.

There is a strong connection between the ionospheric research conducted at the HAARP facility and many practical issues that affect our everyday lives. All long-distance high frequency communication systems, such as ship-to-shore communications, transoceanic aircraft links, and portable systems used so frequently in Alaska and other remote areas, operate by bouncing signals off the ionosphere. By studying a small, limited portion of the ionosphere directly over the facility, research at the HAARP observatory is able to probe the nature of this dynamic medium, both in its naturally disturbed condition and when artificially stimulated, with the goal of being able to provide the fundamental understanding necessary to enhance the performance of such systems. Similarly, signals at even higher frequencies from satellite communication systems, such as IRIDIUM, which became operational in late 1998, and navigation systems, such as GPS, must pass through the ionosphere, and the performance of these systems is strongly affected by ionospheric disturbances. Research at HAARP is of great value for these system applications as well.

The question occasionally arises as to why HAARP was being built in Alaska. Like Canada, Russia, and Norway among others, the United States is an Arctic nation. If we are to make informed decisions concerning the use and preservation of the region's resources and develop systems that are compatible with the unique Arctic environment, we need knowledge derived from high-quality research activities. The Arctic ionosphere strongly affects high latitude telecommunication systems, and depending on solar activity and geographic location, the natural variations in the ionosphere over Alaska can be characterized as polar, auroral, or mid-latitude, leading to wide variations in communication performance. The HAARP observatory is ideally situated to allow the study of each of these conditions. More will be said about this later.

The HAARP facility can also be used to produce low frequency signals. These signals are identical in all respects to more commonly known broadcast signals like AM, FM and Television except that they have a lower frequency, typically less than 15 kHz. Signals in this frequency range can be produced in the ionosphere by modulating the HAARP transmitters at these frequencies. Research utilizing low-frequency signals is exploring several possible applications. One of these areas is geophysical prospecting, that is, the search for underground mineral resources. In this highly sophisticated field, one of the conventional approaches takes advantage of naturally occurring signals originating in the upper ionosphere that penetrate into the Earth's crust and reveal information about underground structure. This technique is limited because the natural signals occur in random fashion. In contrast, the low frequency signals produced using HAARP, although not as strong as those occurring in nature, are known precisely in time and phase, and more sensitive detection techniques can be utilized to great advantage to yield potentially significant improvements in the field of geophysical prospecting.

The detection of underground structure is important for national security reasons as well. Existing military surveillance systems can monitor potentially threatening activities above ground. But there is no simple way to detect clandestine activities underground. The possibility that such activities might be aimed at developing weapons of mass destruction is a major concern. Congress has assigned responsibility to the Department of Defense to address this national security issue of counterproliferation. The same techniques being explored and developed for the detection of mineral resources are also applicable to this problem. In an early experiment, very encouraging results were obtained when a known underground tunnel was successfully detected. Further work is underway to refine this capability.

Other research utilizing these low frequency waves is relevant to another national security issue, namely, communicating with submerged submarines and positive research results could point the way to approaches for greatly enhancing our nation's security. Present operational communication systems are effective, but have certain limitations that could be critical in wartime conditions. For this reason, the Navy continues to sponsor research to explore and evaluate alternative approaches to submarine communication. At this point in the research, the low frequency signals generated by HAARP are much weaker than signals generated by a conventional ground-based facility. Research to be conducted at HAARP in the years ahead will evaluate several proposed approaches for enhancing these signal levels. If this research is successful, there could be a new option for improving strategic submarine communication systems.

It is worthwhile to repeat a point made several times above. Namely, the low frequency signals generated in the ionosphere by HAARP, which are potentially so useful because of their ability to pass through partially conducting materials, are extraordinarily weak. These signals are much weaker than background noise at the same frequency and, hence, pose no environmental threat. They can be detected using sophisticated instrumentation only because their characteristics (frequency, time, phase) can be known with great precision. They cannot be detected by any conventional detection method (including the human body) because the signals are masked by noise. The transmitters at HAARP, on the other hand, operate at radio frequencies in the High Frequency (HF) range (2.8 - 10 MHz) and present the same hazards as any powerful radio station. Stringent safeguards are in effect at the HAARP facility to prevent any adverse environmental impact.

Because much of the research conducted at the HAARP facility is fundamental (or basic) in nature, there will be many other benefits that are currently unidentified but which are potentially more important and far reaching than those discussed above. There are numerous examples in the history of science of such unexpected payoffs. When the apple fell on Newton's head, he began to think about the motion of heavenly bodies. He could not foresee how his laws of motion could be applied to space flight or to the launching of communication satellites.

Another relevant example is the fundamental research of chemists Rowland and Molina who were studying the catalytic properties of halogen compounds in photochemical reactions. Although not an initial objective of their research, they published a paper in 1974 extending their investigations to conditions existing in the Earth's stratosphere and came to the startling conclusion that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) being released on Earth would cause significant depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, thereby destroying our protection against harmful solar ultraviolet radiation and increasing the risk of skin cancer and other health problems. At that time, CFCs were used primarily in air conditioners and as a propellant in hair sprays. Their conclusion was not warmly received by the industrial manufacturers of such compounds and was debated within scientific circles, but subsequent measurements made using high-altitude balloons showed that the predicted depletion of the ozone layer was actually occurring at an alarming rate. Fortunately, the international community reacted to this environmental threat fairly quickly, and an agreement was reached in 1987 to phase out the manufacture and use of CFCs. This agreement has been implemented, at least in the developed countries of the world, but it is too early to see any significant results. The latest predictions, using sophisticated computer models of atmospheric phenomena, are that the desired restoration of the ozone layer should begin occurring by the year 2015. In recognition of their scientific contributions that alerted the world to this serious environmental problem, Rowland and Molina were awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This is a powerful example of how basic research can yield significant, unplanned benefits for mankind.

Right from the start, the leading scientists in the ionospheric research community were consulted to obtain their input before the operating characteristics of the HAARP facility were decided. The HAARP facility is a world-class facility, far superior to competing facilities elsewhere in the world. Top research scientists continue to be involved with the program, and several of them have been present at each HAARP open house held every summer at the Gakona site. Even in its developmental stagest, the facility has been used for exciting new research and produced discoveries in ionospheric physics worthy of publishing in peer-reviewed literature. The research at HAARP is broadly based; it includes studies of the Earth's crust and upward into the Earth's atmosphere and near-Earth space environment. The facilities and scientific talent at HAARP are first-rate. The conditions are favorable for scientific innovation and useful applications.

As mentioned previously, the location of the HAARP facility is a major plus. One of the important reasons for choosing the site at Gakona, Alaska is that it is situated at the edge of the auroral oval. There are times when the visual aurora are overhead, but frequently they occur further north or even south of the site, allowing the study of many distinct conditions. At all times, the ionosphere over Gakona is highly disturbed, unlike the relatively calm ionosphere at midlatitudes. In addition, the auroral electrojet current flows in the ionosphere close to Gakona's latitude. This is a natural phenomenon. The electrojet current is variable in time and position and is spread out over a very large area (typically 300 km²); it has an integrated power of 1 GW or more. This real-world ionosphere is unlike any artificial ionosphere that can be easily created in a laboratory plasma machine. For these reasons, the HAARP facility is also of great interest to the plasma physics community who see this as a unique opportunity to study this form of matter in its natural state and under local stimulation. Once again, there are bound to be useful payoffs from this research.

In summary, the aim of research conducted at HAARP is to explore and understand natural phenomena occurring in the Earth's ionosphere and near-Earth space environment. This research is of considerable value for communication and navigation system applications. The facility will also be used to investigate new methods for detecting underground structures. This research is expected to have major commercial payoffs in the area of natural resource exploration as well as address important national security applications. Other research will examine new options for strategic communications. The goal of all the research conducted at HAARP is knowledge. Knowledge is the fuel that powers our modern technological society. While many of the potential applications of this research can be foreseen, history tells us that many new and highly significant benefits will also emerge.

Also see:

The Importance of Ionospheric Research

More detailed Fact Sheet

Purpose as discussed in the EIS

Frequently Asked Questions