[TXnMA]

Since most of my current work is OHI (OverHead Imagery) analysis and cartography for archaeology, (detecting and mapping pioneer roads and trails and "vanished" town sites) I usually stick with flat, "orthogonal" ["straight down"] (aka "ortho") views on Google Earth.

(Deviation from orthogonality [tilting or exaggerating elevation as done for "3-D" viewing] can introduce errors that are unacceptable for accurate mapping.) ...as Apple learned with their aborted "Maps" app...LOL!

Of course, the published "after" image that I was analyzing was orthogonal, so that was the logical place to start. And - georeferencing it and "clamping it to ground" could best be done in the ortho view.

Hence, it wasn't until after I had published my [ortho view] analysis in #45, that I decided to "goof off" and do a 3-D "flyaround look-see" of the Fordo site with Google Earth:

D'OH!!

If I had looked at the 3-D view first -- I wouldn't have wasted time on my published analysis!

~~~~~~~~

First of all, the site looks totally different in the 3-D view. If I had published the 3-D view first, there would have been far less misinterpretation and speculation about "craters", "bunker buster impact points", etc. by thread participants.

For example, the round, so-called "crater" area at upper left on the "ortho" views -- when viewed (at lower right) in the 3-D view -- is obviously a mound or "plateau" built up of "spoil" dirt and rock excavated from the subterranean chambers. (FWIW, I probably could calculate the volume of that "spoil pile" and come up with a prety fair estimation of the volume of the excavted spaces -- but no doubt, our "NTM" ("National Technical Means") folks have already done so with far better accuracy... '-)

~~~~~~~~

Secondly, the "After" view in 3-D makes it obvious that the "soot deposit" was an artificially-added imaging artifact:

1. There are obviously no "source point[s]" from which the "soot" was ejected.

2. At left, the "ejecta" abruptly stops short of the base terrain level, even though "flowing" down a steep slope.

3. Behind the north entrances, the "ejecta" "flowed "UP" the mountain for a considerable distance -- although it lacked the energy to "flow" downhill a similar distance.

4. And, most obviously damning: On the "After" image, note the "triangular array of black dots" on the cliff above the "Northeren Entrances" label. Those are pure "imaging artifacts" generated by the "burn" or "darken" filter used to produce the phony "soot deposit" -- exacerbated by the low resolution of the bogus photo. Look at the same spot on the "Before" image: there is nothing there but a naturally-rough cliff face!

Business Insider.com, you are BUSTED!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, "just for grins", here is a (somewht enhanced) Google Earth "cruise missile view" of the tunnel entrances at Fordo:

Just think: if a 75 -year old USAF '-) veteran -- in his recliner, out in the Piney Woods boondocks of East Texas -- can produce this view from a website that anyone in the world can access... imagine what today's "NTM" troops are able to do with the "National Technical Means" they have available!! :-)

Pucker-time, Achmadinnerjacket!! <LOL!!!>

[TXnMA]

Yeah -- I know I "went a bridge too far" with edge sharpening and "unsharp mask" on my "cruise missile view" photo in my #120, but, WTH ...I was just goofing around anyway... '-)

[TXnMA]

STD: After you read my #120, (and the rest of this thread) I believe you owe me a FReepMail...

[TXnMA]

If there is anyone else you feel should be pinged to my #120, please do so.

Thanks,

TnMA

[Marine_Uncle]

I viewed some of the postings that you contributed in. What I found apparent is the Google Maps/Google Earth images you worked with did not represent the date the alleged attack on said facility took place. They where at best month old plus.
Including Google Earth sat images from back in 2011.
I simply held quiet on that point. I thought that perhaps you had access to current sat photos of that site, within say the period just prior to the alleged attack took place and perhaps days or even hours afterward, and somehow superimposed them upon what we find at the Google site, that we can all view in various time frames.
In short. I did not want to hamper any work being done by you or perhaps others, that could elicit a confirmation that indeed this facility was indeed breached.
To date, it appears there has been no confirmation by the body of world news agencies that the attack on this site happened as reported by some.
Is the world news agencies sitting on this issue, perhaps awaiting some further solid information to surface.

Are they all awaiting on some news from reliable sources?
Who knows. I don't.
Thank you for your service to your country in the form of military service. And do continue to enjoy those blessings HE has bestowed upon you at present, and perhaps in the future.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very, very interesting....

Hmmm.....sure looked good to me.....but i know nuthing about this imaging stuff.

So who might have done the doctoring of the photos...?

Guess that would be a good question.

See post #120.