Fact check: Bizarre cloud formation in Turkey not connected to HAARP, earthquakes

Eleanor McCrary, USA TODAY
·2 min read
11

The claim: Unique cloud in Turkey is connected to HAARP and earthquakes

A Feb. 11 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes a photo of a circular, red cloud formation above a map of Turkey and northern Syria.

"#HAARP cloud; then weeks later; massive EARTHQUAKES AND DEATH," reads the post's caption.

It was liked more than 100 times in two weeks. Identical posts on other Instagram accounts have accumulated additional likes.

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Our rating: False

The cloud in the image is a lenticular cloud, which is formed when air flows over mountains, experts said. Cloud formations cannot impact or predict earthquakes. The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, or HAARP, does not have the ability to create or influence natural disasters.

Clouds do not affect earthquakes

The cloud seen in the social media post was not man-made and has no connection to the multiple earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria, killing over 41,000 people.

The unusual cloud, which was spotted in Bursa, Turkey, on Jan. 19, is a lenticular cloud, said Anna Jaruga, an atmospheric scientist with the California Institute of Technology.

"(Lenticular) clouds are usually formed when strong winds blow over and around the mountains," she said. "It is not possible for HAARP to create such clouds."

A photo of a lenticular cloud taken by Pilot Geoffrey Beckett.
A photo of a lenticular cloud taken by Pilot Geoffrey Beckett.

The cloud was seen in the skies of Bursa, which is located next to Mount Uludağ. It could not have impacted or forecasted the Feb. 3 earthquakes.

"There is no link between earthquakes and cloud formation," said Todd Lane, an atmospheric science professor at the University of Melbourne. "Any suggestion of a link is completely false."

Fact check: False claim HAARP is responsible for the earthquake in Turkey

HAARP studies the ionosphere and could not influence the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, USA TODAY previously reported.

"The recent earthquake and tragic loss of life in Turkey highlight the destruction that natural disasters can cause," said Jessica Matthews, the HAARP program manager. "The research equipment at the HAARP site cannot create or amplify natural disasters."

USA TODAY has debunked a variety of false claims about the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, including an image of Game of Thrones characters incorrectly attributed as earthquake victims and an erroneous claim that a video shows a tsunami during the earthquake.

USA TODAY reached out to social media users who shared the post for comment.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Cloud in Turkey not connected to HAARP, earthquakes