Experts say Alaska’s HAARP facility could not have triggered eruptions at six Indonesian volcanoes in August 2026, despite social-media claims. Indonesia’s volcanology chief said the volcanoes operate independently, with no evidence of one process linking them.
An Instagram post shared Sept. 7 questioned why six volcanoes erupted the day after Indonesia’s president shook hands with Putin in Vladivostok. HAARP director Jessica Matthews told AFP the facility cannot generate volcanic activity or amplify such events. Daryono said HAARP can heat parts of the upper atmosphere, but there is no physical basis for linking that to magma movement.
Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where plate interactions contribute to high volcanic and seismic activity. Mount Anak Krakatau’s eruption in the Sunda Strait blanketed Jakarta and nearby areas with ash; airport closures left thousands of travelers stranded.
