To: COL Gary K. Rogers (Doc), PE, PhD

From: Mia Cunicelli and Ali Gagnon

Course: CE 208 – Introduction to GIS

Subject: Qum, Iran Nuclear SiteT:\Civil Engineering\CE 208X\3 Non-Text Assignments\9 Qum nuclear site\Qum (03 20 14).doc

Text: Google Earth

Goals: Introduction to Google Earth for purposes of 2-D and 3-D analysis of a potential underground nuclear site north of Qum, Iran, via GIS type technology.

Key Words: GIS, conceptual modeling, analysis, design, demographics, map resources, topographic maps, writing skills, instruction following ability, analysis, 2-D versus 3-D conceptualization, critical thinking, resolution, coordinates, meta data, digital elevation model, area, distance measuring, profiles, vertical exaggeration, view angle, and sources of error.

Assigned: Week of 03/25/14Due: One WeekHR:HG:

Assignment: Using Google Earth, zoom to Qum, Iran. What can you find out about this city, the

demographics thereof, etc? Discuss in detail. Multiple sources should be used and listed with proper referencing. [e.g. (Rogers 2011) ].Qum, Iran is the 8th largest city in Iran. The most recent recorded population was 1,074,036. The Qum River runs through it, and the climate of the city is warm and there is low annual rainfall because of its desert location. The city is the capital of Qom Province. Qom distributes petroleum and petroleum products. It also has a natural gas and crude oil pipeline within it. A large oil refinery was built between the city and Tehran after the discovery of an oil field (Wikipedia 2014). The population growth rate was 1.24% in 2013 and the life expectancy is 70.62 years. The nationality of the people that live here is Iranian. The ethnic groups are Persian 61%, Azeri 16%, Kurd 10%, Lur 6%, Baloch 2%, Arab 2%, Turkmen and Turkic tribes 2%, and other 1%. The official language is Persian followed by Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects. 85% of their population can read and write at age 15 and older (Index Mundi 2014). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qom http://www.indexmundi.com/iran/demographics_profile.html

On a larger context, what about the demographics and key facts of Iran, the country? List and discuss key facts, figures, etc. Discuss in detail. Multiple sources should be used and listed with proper referencing.

Iran has a population of roughly 75 million and it is expected to reach 100 million by 2050. The literacy rate is 91% with the common language of the area being Arabic and

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Assyrian. They are not the only languages spoken as there around 10-15 spoken including Persian, Luri, Gilaki, Mazandarani and other Turkic languages. Persian is the official spoken language of the country Figure 1below shows the spread of common languages spoken throughout the country. Approximately 67 percent of Iran’s population lives in the urban areas. Today our relationship with Iran is very strained because of our differences in beliefs. 99% of the Iranian population is Muslim with 90% belonging to Shi’a branch. There has been a large amount of conflict between the Shi’as, Sunni’s, and non-muslims. Iran hosts a large refugee population from Afghanistans and Iraq consisting of almost 1 million people. The population ratio is roughly 1.03 males for every female and the life expectancy for each was 68 and 72 respectively. Iran’s climate is mostly arid with sub-tropical areas along the Caspian Sea with rugged with a mountainous rim and central basins consisting of deserts. Their natural resources include crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, and other precious medals. The region has periodic droughts, floods, dust storms and the occasional earthquake. Current issues in the region include air pollution. It is a republic with the legal system being made of religious and secular Islamic law. It has a “voting system” but the same guy has been in power as chief of state since 1989. The US has current strife with them as they try to control the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf waterway is a large trade waterway for most of the countries including Kuwait, Iraq, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Figure 1. A map of Iran. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Iran http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/iran-population/

Add pertinent maps of the country (e.g. Iran) showing transportation, climate, elevation, etc. Discuss each in detail. Each map should have a figure number, title, and proper reference. Other images in this assignment should also have a figure number, title, and proper reference . Figure 2. This map shows the transportation in the form of railways throughout the country of Iran.

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http://www.irantravelingcenter.com/railway_iran.htmFigure 3. This map shows the climate in the country of Iran. The legend shows the different colors for the various temperatures in the country. The cooler temperatures are located where there are more mountains present and the very hot and humid temperatures seem to be located around the large bodies of water such as the Persian Gulf. http://fanack.com/uploads/pics/Iran_map_600px_climatezones.jpgFigure 4. This map shows the topography and elevation in the country of Iran. The darkest brown is where the highest altitude is present and the lighter the color, the lower the altitude.

http://fanack.com/uploads/pics/Iran_map-

geography_600px_0001.jpg

How large is this country compared to the US? Is it comparable in size to any particular state in the US? If so, make and/or find a comparison map and insert here. [Hint: a map

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of the US with an Iran overlay would partially answer this question.]The continental US is roughly 5 times the size of the Iran as shown the figure below. If you were to combine Arizona, California, Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho you would get an area roughly the size of Iran. Iran is also very close in size to Alaska.

Figure 5. This map shows the relative size of Iran to the size of the United States. http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/IR

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5858091

Now, back to the primary assignment. Locate the potential underground nuclear facility in the dark shaded mountains, north of the city of Qum. Zoom in. Describe what you see. Insert a “plan view” image here. [Hint: A “plan view” is a map view looking directly down on a subject.]I see a series of access roads surrounding a white building in the mountains. If you zoom in a lot, you can see a number of access doors to the underground facility as well. There are a few smaller buildings surrounding the big white building as well. Since Iran is a desert, there is not much around this site, so the building and roads stand out.

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Figure 6. This image is a plan view image of a nuclear facility in the mountains of Qum, Iran.

A .kmz file may be found in your assignment folder. Double click on this file. More detailed imagery should now be available within the already opened Google Earth via an automatic connection. Describe what you now see?A more detailed view of the complex in Qom, you can see it as it undergoes the construction phase and right after its completion. This includes a detailed elevation view of the outside of the nuclear facility after construction of the facility was completed. The site has a cut pile that grows dramatically making it possible to estimate the size of the underground facility. You are able to tell the height of the mountain and see the tunnels as they are working on them. It seems like a very large facility. You can also see a fence or some sort of boundary they have placed around the entrance to the mountains preventing anyone from easily gaining access to the facility.

Are their multiple layers of imagery available now? Refer to the layers list to the lower left of the main screen. Click each off and on and observe. Describe each layer in detail.There are two additional layers for the original map on the Google Earth for the Qom Nuclear Facility. One is an image of the facility while it is under construction in January 2009. The large white building and tunnels are under construction and have not undergone the process of covering. If you zoom in you can see the tunnel junctions and turns that prevent warheads from flying up the tunnel entrance farther into the facility. There is another tunnel on the backside of the facility that exits to a road. Perhaps a “secret” escape route? In September of 2009 the facility is completed. The tunnels have been covered so only a small portion of the entrance is visible, but they are still visible.

On the “tools” menu in Google earth, adjust the terrain quality to the highest level. Also

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adjust the elevation exaggeration to a higher value (e.g. 3). Utilize the mouse to obtain lower angle 3-D views of the site. Insert several views here.

Figure 7. This image shows a low angle 3-D view of a building in the mountains of Qum, Iran that may be associated with a nuclear site.

Figure 8. This image shows a low angle 3-D view of a building in the mountains of Qum, Iran that may be associated with a nuclear site.

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Figure 9. This image shows a low angle 3-D view of a building in the mountains of Qum, Iran that may be associated with a nuclear site.

There are additional files obtained from the “Ogle Earth” blog in your assignment folder. Read and summarize each here in detail. Search “Ogle Earth” online for additional files and/or modifications to these files. The Ogle Earth articles all have assumptions of the purpose and area of the Underground Facility. The first article measures the volume of the dirt pile and uses it to infer the actual size of the underground facility. It assumes the tunnels are about 1300m long leading to a large chamber about with about 6 m of height and a 50,000 sqm floor space. The writer of the article was able to determine this area using files obtained from ISIS. Another article discusses the progress of the Qum Facility over a period of 6 months. The next article discusses explosions that were heard near the facilities caused by possible nuclear tests. The government claimed they were from military exercises or denied the existence of an explosion even possible happening. The amount of knowledge provided the by the Iranian government is limited and possibly inaccurate.

Search the web for additional illustrations and/or files.

Create, using PowerPoint (or other software), a conceptual plan view of the potential underground site, approximately to scale. Add text boxes for labels and distances, etc. Insert detailed images here.

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Figure 10. shows a conceptual plan view of this underground site.

Create, using PowerPoint (or other software), a cross section of the potential underground site, approximately to scale. Add text boxes for labels and distances, etc. Insert detailed image here.

Figure 11. shows a cross sectional view of this underground nuclear site in Iran.

Why is this site being built underground? Explain in detail.

120 m

120 m240 m

240 m

170 m

180 m

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The site is being built underground for multiple reasons. The reasons include the ability to hide the any activities from satellite view and safety. If they were able to hide the activities, other governments will be unaware of their development and progress with nuclear weapons. This presents a disadvantage to many other governments especially the US who is at odds with the Iranian government. The other possible reason for building underground is safety. They are able to control nuclear leakage and exposure to those outside, don’t want to pollute the desert. It stops nuclear exposure to the areas surrounding the facility and many citizens live within a distance that could be harmful to health. An economical pro to building underground is natural temperature regulation. Underground facilities are usually kept cool at 65 degrees and sometimes have natural springs that supply water.

Do we have underground sites like this in the US? Provide ten (10) US examples and discuss what these sites protect. For starters, visit the following: a) Greenbrier Hotel Bunker, White Sulphur Springs, WV; b) Cheyenne Mt., Colorado Springs, CO; c) United States Bullion Depository, Fort Knox, KY, d) Mormon Underground Repository, Little Cottonwood Canyon, near Park City, UT; e) … ; f) … ; etc. Insert imagery for each here. Explain and discuss each site here in detail. a) Greenbrier Hotel Bunker, White Sulphur Springs, WV--$14 million underground bunker to be used for congress in the event of a nuclear attack. It was a hideaway capitol, 250 miles from Washington DC. The location was only known by a handful of high ranking officials. It has living quarters and work space for about 800 people and separate meeting halls for the House and Senate. b) Cheyenne Mt., Colorado Springs, CO—installation with NORAD centers. There is an Alternate Command Center for the Peterson AFB nearby. It is a US command bunker, and was designed for a 30 megaton nuclear explosion. It is 5.1 acres tunneled in Cheyenne Mountain. c) United States Bullion Depository, Fort Knox, KY—a fortified vault building located in Fort Knox, KY. It is the storage place of choice for the United States official gold reserve. It also houses other precious items belonging or entrusted to the federal government. It holds 4578 metric tons of gold bullion, which is roughly 3% of all the gold refined throughout human history. d) Mormon Underground Repository, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Park City, UT—an underground bunker where the Mormons keep their genealogical backup data. Located in solid granite cliffs of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Mormon Church collected genealogical data from all over the world for 100 years and this is where they store that information. e) Site R. Sounds like Section D, Raven Rock, PA—underground facility made of greenstone, fourth hardest rock on earth. Constructed starting in 1950. Tunnels and three story building by 1953. The entire thing is located 650 ft beneath Raven Rock summit and can be entered through four portals. Everything inside the mountain would allow people to survive a catastrophe. There is even a convenient store.f) Federal Relocation Center, Mount Weather, VA—equipped with private apartments and dorms, streets and sidewalks, cafeterias and hospitals, power, water purification, etc. There is also a small lake which is fed by underground freshwater springs. g) Secret underground installation near the Oakville Grade in Napa County, CA—being used by government for direct satellite communication. Continuity of Government (COG) program made for use in case of nuclear attack. Has secure communication links with outside world. h) Yucca Mountain Site—there is an Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF). It is the beginning of 14 miles of tunnels to be drilled under the mountain. Tunnels will be 24-30 ft in diameter and 16-18 ft in other tunnels. Eventually there will be about 70 acres of underground facilities. i) West Wing Underground Command Center, Washington DC—serves two purposes, to protect key people with sufficient staff and data to render critical decisions and to ensure the survival of the facility to allow dissemination of these decisions. j) Fort MacArthur Direction Center—was the Army Air Defense Command Post for the Project Nike batteries of the Los Angeles Defense Area. It provided an electric umbrella

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for integrating fire control. http://www.heartcom.org/200under.htmhttp://whitehouse.gov1.info/tunnel/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyenne_Mountain_nuclear_bunkerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_MacArthur_Direction_Centerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bullion_Depositoryhttp://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mormon-genealogical-archives

What about other countries? Do they have underground sites for protecting something, currently and/or in recent past (e.g. last 100 years)? Provide at least ten (10) foreign examples. Discuss in detail and provide imagery. [Hint: Where did Winston Churchill make his battle plans? Did the Brits have underground factories and storage depots during the Second World War? How about the Germans, did they have underground sub pens and munitions factories? Think about the Japanese on Iwo Jima? What about the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War? Does Norway have underground facilities for the generation of power or to say … hide things?]

Churchill’s underground facilities during WW2 were called the Cabinet War Rooms. It was a secret underground facility in which the British military planned their military operations. It was opened in August 1939 and remained in operation until Japans surrender in 1945. Today it is a museum that is open to the public.

Russians may have created a facility in Mount Yamantau in the Ural Mountains. The US suspects it is a large underground nuclear facility or bunker in the mountain. Russians have claimed it is a mining site, a repository for Russian Treasures, a food storage area, and a bunker leaders in case of nuclear war.

In England in a former Bath Stone quarry there is an underground city code named Burlington that was built to be the site of the main Emergency Government War Headquarters. It was built just outside London and this massive city complex was designed to safely house up to 4,000 government employees. It is a 35 acre facility that lies 100 feet underground and has 60 miles of roads. It was in operation for nearly 30 years.

Project Riese is code name for several secret underground complexes in Nazi Germany, it was started but not quite finished. It was almost finishe and was designed to be a backup for Hitlers headquarters. Nazi forces used prisoners and forced labor from Nazi concentration camps. There were multiple complexes constructed.

In 1969 Beijing China, an underground complex had its construction begin. This underground facility was mainly built for an emergency shelter and military defense. The underground was has a full complement of shops and standard lifestyle items stretching on for 30 kilometers. It is now a tourist attraction.

In Spain, an underground city named Setenil de las Bodegas is still open with a civilian population inhabiting it. There are more than 3,000 people with the facility not built entirely underground. It was orginially a Moorish fortification used by the Roman Empire

In the Giza, there is a massive underground complex that began being mapped out in 1978. Researchers referred to is as a metropolis or as it is known “City of the Gods” The city is buried beneath the Pyramids of Giza.

In the Wieliczka, Poland there is a salt mine that was created in the 13th century. The underground city produced salt until 2007 but also boasted chapels, a cathedral, and statues. It has nearly 186 miles of tunnels and was used by the Germans in WW2 for building munitions.

Cappadochia Turkey has a massive underground city names Derinkuyu. It consist of several underground levels and at one point housed thousands of residents. The city had a full complement of shop, churches and homes and were believed to be for Christians hiding from persecution of the Roman Empire

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Figure 12. Japan has multiple underground facilities built to for shopping and housing. There are

five major ones all boasting over 500,000 sqft in underground space. There have been built to deal with lack of space in the Japan.

How about other civilizations and cultures from antiquity? Can you find and provide imagery of at least five (5) underground facilities that have been used to protect and conceal burial locations, religious/ritual artifacts, treasure, etc. Discuss in detail and provide imagery.a)The Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt—The pyramids were built to conceal and protect the body of the Pharaoh’s and their possessions. They were buried with many of their worldly possessions and therefore there were many underground tunnels and chambers to throw off any possible grave robbers that tried to steal these goods. http://outforadventure.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/pyramid-diagram.png

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Figure 13. a map of the Great Pyramid of Gizab) Terracotta Army, Chinese Catacombs—a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. They were buried with him as a form of art and to protect the emperor in his afterlife. There were over 8000 soldiers.

Figure 14. The Chinese Catacombs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Xian_guerreros_terracota_general.JPG

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c) Tombs—they are found around the world and hold the dead. They normally include a burial chamber and extra space. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb

figure 15. representative of just one type of tomb.d) burial vaults—they are usually found underground and are lined by either brick or stone. There are spaces for more than one body and are currently used by families wishing to be buried together. In the past and still commonly they are found underneath churches or in cemeteries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb

Figure 16. a single kind of burial vault, the Brizbane family.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial_vault_(tomb)

e) architectural shrines—they are common across the world. Depending on the religious group, these are used after death. In Christianity for example, the shrine is located above the first burial place of a saint. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb

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figure 17. an architectural shrine

Discuss relevance of this assignment to this Civilizations & Cultures course. [Hint: … the need of mankind to hide its most valuable assets, secrets, treasures … underground?]Underground facilities are built for multiple reasons from hiding and protecting people, hiding developments of weapons from the enemy, as burial chamber that contain worldly possessions and disposing dangerous items. One of the really cool things about hiding things underground is that things get lost for instance for many centuries people didn’t know about the vast treasures in the Egyptian pyramids. When things get lost dangerous chemicals can be placed in stone quarries and sealed off, knowing that by the time they may escape they will be harmless. These underground facilities can also protect people from the dangers of the outside world using nuclear or chemical weapons, they can be protected from it. These underground cities have been used to hide things in the past and even now. Today countries still use cities to hide things, mostly weapons and secrets of other countries. The main example in Qom, Iran.

Just for fun, try out the “Flight Simulator” option at this site and see how good you would be as an Israeli pilot obtaining “reconnaissance photos” and/or dropping off a “gift” at the Qum site. Note: This may not be considered by some to be politically correct; hence, consider it “ethics awareness”. Describe your efforts.I was no good at the flight simulator at all. I repeatedly crashed the plane. I expected the flight simulator to be easier than it was on my lap top. I could not get the hang of what keys to press and kept crashing the plane. I thought that it would be easy because I would just have to press a few buttons and it would not be moving too fast, but it really caught me off guard.

Add as an artifact to your e-Portfolio.

Designed by: COL Gary K. Rogers, PE, PhD 01/29/04 Last Modified: COL Gary K. Rogers, PE, PhD 03/20/14

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