High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, commonly known as HAARP.
Science is leaping ahead in huge bounds, especially the scientists studying the effects of ELF/VLF on the ionesphere. For those techies here, I have patched together the major works chronologically. I must say, it far exceeds my ability to understand, although it certainly sparks my imagination.
Enjoy. I read through the papers listed below and am in awe of what these scientists are capable of doing. Amazing in every way.
HAARP has a website, but I learned more from reading the research papers below.
The following quotes are from this 2008 research paper, the year after HAARP was upgraded:
1. Geometric modulation: A more effective method of steerable ELF/VLF wave generation with continuous HF heating of the lower ionosphere
I paraphrase and then include the quote from the paper:
ELF/VLF radio waves are 10-1000 km (6 - 621 miles) long.
ELF/VLF radio waves (300 Hz – 30 kHz) are difficult to generate with practical antennae, because of their extraordinarily long (10 – 1000 km) wavelengths
ELF/VLF heat the ionesphere
ELF/VLF waves have been successfully generated via amplitude modulated (AM) HF (2 – 10 MHz) heating of the lower ionosphere.
A patch of the ionesphere can act as an antenna
Through the temperature-dependent conductivity of the lower ionospheric plasma, a patch of the ionospheric current becomes a large radiating ‘antenna’.
The upgraded HAARP replaces AM method of transmission of ELF/VLF.
Utilizing results from the upgraded 3.6 MW radiated HAARP HF antenna array, we show that geometric modulation can enhance ELF/ VLF wave generation
Geometric modulation makes HAARP generated ELF/VLF waves steerable into the Earth-ionosphere waveguide.
Geometric modulation also allows directional launching of the signal into the Earth-ionosphere waveguide, forming an unprecedented steerable large-element ELF/VLF ionospheric phased array.
The Alaska HAARP facility has a range of 4,400 km = 2734.0332458442695 Miles
I used this calculator - http://www.calculateme.com/...
More recently, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) phased-array HF facility near Gakona, Alaska (62° 220N, 145° 90W), has generated ELF signals observed as far as 4400 km [Moore et al., 2007], as well as in the geomagnetic conjugate region [Inan et al., 2004; M. Golkowski et al., Magnetospheric amplification and emission triggering by ELF/VLF waves injected by the 3.6 MW HAARP ionospheric heater, submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research, 2008].
THE IONESPHERE
If you want to dig deeper into ELF/VLF and the ionesphere, I recommend Googling and reading:
Modeling Electromagnetic Propagation in the Earth-Ionosphere Waveguide Steven A. Cummer
The ionosphere is most generally treated as an inhomogeneous and anisotropic cold plasma, which is valid as long as the wave power is not so high that the medium is modified by the wave itself.
inhomogeneous = Not uniform in character or content; diverse.
Consisting of terms that are not all of the same degree or dimensions.
HAARP was upgraded in 2007
In 2007, an upgrade of HAARP was completed, increasing its HF radiated power from 960 kW to 3.6 MW [Cohen et al., 2008]
A Study of the interhemispheric conjugacy of large-scale TIDs using the GPS networks in Japan and Australia
The conjugate point of the HAARP array is located in the South Pacific Ocean (56.67°S and 174.48°E) about 1000 km southeast from New Zealand and ~500 km from the nearest landmass of Campbell Island. 52.283413 S 169.1016.43 E
PAPERS
1965 - Ionospheric Effects Observed around the Time of the Alaskan Earthquake of March 28, 1964
2004-06 - Multi-hop whistler-mode ELF/VLF signals and triggered emissions excited by the HAARP HF heater
2007 - Simultaneous ionospheric E- and F-layer perturbations caused by some major earthquakes in India
2007 -Subionospheric VLF observations of transmitter-induced precipitation of inner radiation belt electrons
2008 - Orientation of the HAARP ELF ionospheric dipole and the auroral electrojet
2008 Geometric modulation: A more effective method of steerable ELF/VLF wave generation with continuous HF heating of the lower ionosphere M. B. Cohen,1 U. S. Inan,1 and M. A. Golkowski1
2009 - Reply to comment by R. C. Moore and M. T. Rietveld on ‘‘Geometric modulation: A more effective method of steerable ELF/VLF wave generation with continuous HF heating of the lower ionosphere’’
2009 - Thesis by Mark Golkowski - MAGNETOSPHERIC WAVE INJECTION BY MODULATED HF HEATING OF THE AURORAL ELECTROJET
Mark Golkowski
Email: Mark.golkowski@ucdenver.edu
2009 - June - Cross modulation of whistler mode and HF waves above the HAARP ionospheric heater
2009 - February - Effect of frequency modulation on whistler mode waves in the magnetosphere
July, 2010 - Magnetospheric amplification and emission triggering by ELF/VLF waves injected by the 3.6 MW HAARP ionospheric heater
2010 - Amplitude and phase of nonlinear magnetospheric wave growth excited by the HAARP HF heater
Read paper here
2010 - Periodic solar wind forcing due to recurrent coronal holes during 1996–2009 and its impact on Earth's geomagnetic and ionospheric properties during the extreme solar minimum
2011 - On the occurrence of ground observations of ELF/VLF magnetospheric amplification induced by the HAARP facility View online here: http://vlf.stanford.edu/...
2011 - Estimation of Global Lightning Activity and Observations of Atmospheric Electric Field
2011 -Ionospheric disturbances detected by GPS total electron content observation after the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake
ELF/VLF Receiver Hardware It’s AWESOME!
Pictorial
2011 - Estimation of Global Lightning Activity and Observations of Atmospheric Electric Field
The key researchers and scientists working on HAARP are
Marek GOŁKOWSKI, Morris COHEN, and Umran S. INAN
STAR Laboratory,
Department of Electrical Engineering,
Stanford University,
350 Serra Mall, Room 356,
Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
(mcohen@stanford.edu)
Are there any geophysicists in the audience?
What is a geophysicist?
A geophysicist is someone who studies the Earth using gravity, magnetic, electrical, and seismic methods. Some geophysicists spend most of their time outdoors studying various features of the Earth, and others spend most of their time indoors using computers for modeling and calculations. Some geophysicists use these methods to find oil, iron, copper, and many other minerals. Some evaluate earth properties for environmental hazards and evaluate areas for dams or construction sites. Research geophysicists study the internal structure and evolution of the earth, earthquakes, the ocean and other physical features using these methods.