FACT FOCUS: Conspiracy theories falsely blame Colombia earthquake on Alaska research program

An earthquake of 7.4 magnitude struck western Colombia on Monday, resulting in at least 270 deaths and significant damage. This seismic event has reignited a conspiracy theory on social media, falsely attributing the disaster to a research program in Alaska known as the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). However, the earthquake was caused by natural movements within the Earth's crust, according to experts.

The U.S. Geological Survey explains that the quake was primarily due to "strike-slip faulting," where sections of the Earth's crust move horizontally past each other. The earthquake's epicenter was located within Colombia's Pacific region, situated along the "Ring of Fire," a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean that is prone to many earthquakes.

Suzan Van der Lee, a seismologist and professor at Northwestern University, confirms that "no human endeavor caused this earthquake." She adds that the region experienced numerous natural earthquakes and that there are instances where human activities, such as gas extraction or wastewater injection, have induced small- to moderate-magnitude earthquakes. However, the Colombian quake occurred at a depth of 110 kilometers, which is far deeper than any human-induced seismic activity.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has been operating HAARP since 2015, though it was previously managed by the U.S. military, which remains the owner of the land where the program is situated.