Upper Atmospheric Effects of the HF Active Auroral Research Program Ionospheric Research Instrument (HAARP IRI)

The earths ozone layer occurs in the stratosphere, primarily between 1 0 and 30 miles altitude. The amount of ozone, O, present is the result of a balance between production and destruction processes. Experiments have shown that natural processes such as auroras create molecules that destroy 0 . One family of such molecules is called odd nitrogen of which nitric oxide NO is an example. Because the HAARP HF Active Auroral Research Program facility is designed to mimic and investigate certain natural processes, a study of possible effects of HAARP on the ozone layer was conducted. The study used a detailed model of the thermal and chemical effects of the high power HF beam, which interacts with free electrons in the upper atmosphere above 50 miles altitude. It was found only a small fraction of the beam energy goes into the production of odd nitrogen molecules, whereas odd nitrogen is efficiently produced by auroras. Since the total energy emitted by HAARP in the year is some 200,000 times less than the energy deposited in the upper atmosphere by auroras, the study demonstrates that HAARP HF beam experiments will cause no measurable depletion of the earths ozone layer.... Ozone, Ozone depletion, Ozone layer, Odd nitrogen, Nitric oxide, HAARP Emitter characteristics