Google Earth Community: China - Huangyangtan

Hi,

I've had a look at three of the sites discussed on the BBS. The 'scale map' is, I think, exactly that, and the fact that it's a disputed area suggests military training. I suspect it's helicopter or other aircraft navigation training, especially given the proximity to both abandoned and working airfields to the north. The red buildings to the east suggest barracks with trucks outside, for enlisted men or trainees. The other buildings (to the south of the barracks) suggest offices and other facilities including a significant telecomms capability (large antenna shadow to north of blue building) consonant with aircraft movement systems.

This interpretation is bolstered by the numbers written into hillsides to the north. It's likely these are for navigation training too, in areas where man-made structures are unavailable. Most holders of private pilots licences learn to use railroads, motorways, etc as navigation aids: in remote areas (such as disputed zones) these are less frequently available, so terrain interpretation becomes essential. Initial training in this can be fraught with danger, so the numbers may be there as additional aids to developing this awareness in initial training.

The airbase mentioned in a later message 'now things are getting more mysterious' shows an abandoned airstrip to the west. This is clearly abandoned as various river channels have dumped sediment across the runway. The strip to the east looks like it's currently under construction and the final surfacing has yet to be completed. I'd suggest it's under construction as the differences in tone of the surface suggest concrete laid in strips (you can't lay an entire runway in a single block, it'd crack up and it's too difficult logistically). The underground bunkers are either hardened hangar facilities for aircraft or munitions stores. The excavated material has been laid between sections to provide blast deflectors to prevent an explosion in one setting off adjacent stores/facilities. Clearly military and also unlikely to be active when the imagery was collected.

The final message about the white lines 'now things are getting bizzarre' are most interesting, I've honestly no idea what they are. The lines are clearly quite wide as the vehicle tracks cover <20% of a white line. The 'tracks around the white lines' are more likely an artefact of the image compression algorithm google earth uses to deliver imagery over the internet. I don't have a suggestion for what the white lines are for.

I'm coming at this as someone with >10 years experience interpreting aerial imagery, so I'm fairly convinced the explanations above are good, however if anyone has any realistic suggestions for what the white line pattern is I'd be interested in hearing it!

Paul_Z

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