While perusing through satellite imagery of the Sahara (crazily good ganj, trust me), I came upon something slightly unsettling: http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=k&om=0&ll=20.474863,-12.34314&spn=0.047843,0.090294&z=14 Take a closer look at all those black marks spotting the geography. At first I thought they might be shadows from clouds, but upon closer inspection I noticed that (well, other than the fact that no cloud could possibly cast a shadow like that) they're only present over populated areas. Could they be burn marks? Other than that I'm completely stumped. And if those are all caused by fire, wtf happened in that area? That scale of destruction is simply unfathomable- but sadly, I've come to learn to never to underestimate the atrocities mankind is capable of.
If you look here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=k&om=0&ll=20.474863,-12.34314&spn=0.047843,0.090294&z=14 and focus down. They appear to be trees and water features around Chinguetti.. Trees in the desert and planted in rows and decoratively. John
I dunno... But here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8....455589,-12.371399&spn=0.002991,0.005643&z=18 How could that possibly be related to trees/water?
They might be small crop-growing areas, which are circular because of the reach of the irrigation system. They use the same system in the Middle East (example).
I would doubt that it is irrigation systems as none of the darker patches looks like a regular shape as the irrigation systems give a circle here its more of a random shape each time. IMO it looks like craters from something but not sure what exactly. Could be like a firing range for some military and i know its unlikely but hey its just a guess.
If you notice, very close by is a very large crater. http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=k&om=0&ll=21.133183,-11.412048&spn=1.227101,1.768799&z=9 I'd say it is natural glass from an asteroid impact. I've read old (translated) stories from some sources that claim the Arabs and even some Second Dynasty people ran across large patches of strange glass in the desert in this area. Edit: look at the scale on it. It's larger than I first thought - close to 13 miles from one side to the other. That is def. what caused your destruction, not mankind.
Yikes, that does appear to be a crater. And I thought this one was big: http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=35.019805,-111.020193&spn=0.036059,0.05579&t=h&z=14
The very large crater-looking thing is actually the result of a volcano eroding around the sides and collapsing into itself.
yeah......... it's not an impact crater, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richat_Structure. and the black dots are clouds, the black square is censored.
It sounded at first like you were on about lightning strikes, but on inspection they look like trees.
Does anyone else notice the area that has been blacked out? http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=20.461872,-12.356207&spn=0.00282,0.007725&t=h&z=18
It's blacked out here aswell: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=20.455185,-12.376155&spn=0.003564,0.004828&z=18
Trees. Keep in mind that due to image processing there may be some colour distortion. And lay off the ganj. It's making you see things.
