Visit https://twitter.com/ctfallen for more frequent updates during the campaign! (No twitter account or log-in required.)
Operations News: news, details, times, and frequencies of selected HAARP experiments (Updated 15 September 2017)
Tune-in: information for using a shortwave radio to hear selected HAARP transmissions
Artificial aurora: information for viewing the HAARP artificial aurora from various locations
Contact the author of this page
Buy HAARP "Area 49" shirts, etc. (UAF Geophysical Institute fundraiser)
This page describes scientific experiments conducted by Chris Fallen and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) conducted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) Observatory near Gakona, Alaska. More information about HAARP can be found through the Geophysical Institute, the HAARP frequently asked questions (FAQ) page, and the HAARP Facebook page.
Scientific literature describing previous HAARP experiments can be found in several current academic journals such as the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Radio Science, Geophysical Research Letters, Annales Geophysicae, the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Physical Review Letters, and Nature. (Most academic journals require a paid subscription to view all available articles which can be found at your favorite university library but many older articles are now available free to the public.) Also see the HAARP Bibliography (current up to 2005) compiled by the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) and Geophysical Institute Mather Library. HAARP is one of several ionosphere radio modification facilities built worldwide since the 1970s for the purpose of radio and space science research.
There are several reasons why people that are not affiliated with HAARP or with scientific research may be interested in HAARP transmission activities.
The first reason people may be interested in HAARP activities is natural human curiosity. An inexpensive shortwave radio, a little knowledge of HAARP operation activities, and bit of luck are all that is needed to hear HAARP transmissions from virtually anywhere in the world. Also, observers throughout Alaska have an opportunity to photograph the artificial aurora sometimes created over HAARP during certain types of transmissions.
The second reason people may be interested in HAARP activities is out of concern regarding the effects of HAARP transmissions on people and various aspects of Earth and its weather. Most of these concerns can be alleviated by improved understanding the science involved and the relatively modest (but still impressive) capabilities afforded by 720 radio transmitters and 5 diesel engines comparable to those used by locomotives.
Little or no prior notice of HAARP (or any other) science experiments is usually not because of secret or nefarious activity as some creative enthusiasts claim, but mostly because scientists are usually very busy and get little (academically significant) credit for keeping the public informed. In fact, scientists in almost every field sometimes feel pressured to be the first to publish new results. Early release of activities and data can allow competing scientists to publish first. Protection of scientific initiative is one reason why data from publicly funded spacecraft missions are often sequestered for several months or even years even though it is often not too difficult to make that data available in near real time over the internet.
My interest in public service opportunities available from conducting HAARP experiments echoes my early experience with shortwave and ham radio activities as a student that helped lead me to a lifetime career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Hence, this page is an initial attempt to share information regarding HAARP experiment activities that can be similarly engaging or inspiring to students of all ages.
Scientists are the primary users of the instruments at HAARP for upper atmosphere, space and radio science research. NSF is funding scientists to conduct experiments with HAARP in 2017, including the use of its large phased-array high-frequency (HF) radio transmitter. However, the HAARP Observatory is more than its giant iconic phased-array "ionosphere heater" that is only operated for approximately 100 hours during a typical two-week experiment campaign. The observatory also hosts several passive and active diagnostic instruments, many of which are in continuous operation. Data from several of the diagnostic instruments used to be made publicly available in real time over the web and efforts are underway to restore this service. NSF is funding Chris Fallen through NSF Award #1702328 "RAPID: Spatiotemporal Evolution of Radio-induced Aurora at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) Observatory."
Scientists will conduct experiments in February 2017 during the first UAF-led HAARP "experiment campaign," lasting approximately one week. The first campaign is somewhat of a "shakedown campaign" when a fraction of the HAARP transmitter (approximately 60%) and supporting equipment will be tested following years of storage.
NSF-funded experiments conducted by Dr. Chris Fallen, Assistant Research Professor in the Space Physics group at the UAF Geophysical Institute, will conduct both artificial aurora and radio propagation experiments. The artificial aurora can potentially be photographed, weather and experiment conditions permitting, from locations extending throughout much of Alaska, including its major population centers of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. HAARP transmissions can be similarly be received worldwide with shortwave radio receivers, conditions permitting.
Details of Dr. Fallen's experiments, including experiment times and radio frequencies used will be published through the Operations News link at the top of this page and his personal twitter account @ctfallen.
Anybody who wants to participate and follow HAARP experiments should follow the official and unofficial announcements linked at the top of this page. There are two main ways to participate in the campaign: by listening to the radio transmissions from HAARP itself or by photographing artificial auroras created by HAARP. Amateur (Ham) radio operators can also use temporary ionosphere irregularities created by HAARP to open new propagation modes for their own transmissions.
A shortwave radio and knowledge of the time and frequency of the HAARP transmissions provides opportunities to "listen in" since the radio wave energy often (but not always) propagates very large distances, sometimes worldwide! Shortwave radios capable of receiving frequencies in the same range that HAARP can transmit, between approximately 2.7 and 10 MHz (2700 and 10,000 kHz) allow anyone to hear HAARP transmissions provided long-distance radio propagation conditions are sufficient and the radio is tuned to one of the frequencies where HAARP is transmitting. Ham radio operators also have an opportunity to reflect (or "bounce") their own transmissions, typically in the HF, VHF or UHF bands, off ionosphere irregularities created above HAARP during high-power experiments. This creates propagation modes that would normally only be possible during certain space weather events such as aurora.
The artificial aurora (properly called radio-enhanced airglow) occurs at an approximate altitude of 150 to 300 km and can be photographed, conditions permitting, from distances several hundreds of kilometers from HAARP, including near the main population centers of Alaska: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. The HAARP artificial aurora is usually not sufficiently luminous to be seen with the unaided eye except under exceptional conditions, and even the best case it is as bright (though much smaller in appearance) as the Andromeda galaxy. A consumer-grade camera with a long-exposure feature is sufficient to photograph the artificial aurora, and photographing the Andromeda galaxy is a good baseline test of sufficient exposure length and light pollution conditions. The artificial aurora can either appear as a spot or amorphous blob in the sky, sometimes as a ray aligned with the geomagnetic field above HAARP, or a combination of both.
Photographers near HAARP in the Copper Valley vicinity should aim their cameras near vertical to photograph the HAARP artificial aurora which is typically located approximately 200 km directly above Glennallen. Photographers outside the Copper Valley should aim their cameras toward Glennallen with an elevation angle that decreases with increasing distance from Glennallen. The approximate location of the artificial aurora can be located with the Google Earth application by downloading and opening the ".kml" file available through the links at the top of this page. The ground-level view displayed in Google Earth will show the approximate region where the artificial aurora or airglow induced by high-power HAARP transmissions will occur so photographers can frame their images accordingly.
This effort is funded by NSF Award #1702328 and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.