The clean up they have done makes it very hard to see IMHO.
" the road there is scorched / cratered Secondary explosion from a vehicle?"
Agree, I think something was on the road that instantaneously combusted and burnt to the ground.
"What I do find interesting is the structure in the desert to the southeast, but still within the outer compound security fence
That looks like a filled in impact crater to me. A big one. Might just be a dry water hole, but that doesn't look right. Unfortunately its outside the high-res imagery. But whatever it is, its over 100 yards across"
I hope I am looking at the same thing as you.
The google earth image I gave you has a scale on it so we can now work out the Exact sizes of things.
I diagree with what it is. I don't think it is a dry water hole, I look at those often here in Aus, it has too much of a earthen berm around one side.
I think it is man made, it looks like a semi circular earthen berm has been made as you can see the scape marks on BOTH sides of the ridge. It has height to it (the berm). Have a look at the scrape marks of the berm round the outside of the facility, you can see the same scrape marks.
Their is also another one in an inverted L shape just below it.
Here is something else interesting to look at North North West of the compound.
Their is a OLD square earthen shape but inside this and off to the east it looks like Bomb Craters. Also some other interesting craters to the NW of it and a line of something to the South of the square earthen shape. I'll defer here to the RAF boys - are these bomb craters ?