Earth Engine: Google's Global Time-Lapse

With Earth Engine, Google has compiled decades of images taken by Earth-observing satellites. The tool is meant for "scientists, independent researchers, and nations...to detect changes, map trends and quantify differences on the Earth's surface."

1 minute read

May 9, 2013, 12:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

"Today, Google put out the Earth Engine, a fascinating tool that showcases a scrollable, zoomable time-lapse of the entire planet as seen by Landsat over the decades," writes Colin Schultz. According to Rebecca Moore, Engineering Manager with Google Earth Engine & Earth Outreach, the images paint "the most comprehensive picture of our changing planet ever made available to the public."

"The Landsat photos only go back to 1984," says Schultz, "but they show the dramatic ways in which the planet has changed in such a brief period of time. To help you get started, Google pulled out some highlights to look at, such as the drying of the Aral Sea or the deforestation of the Amazon. But the tool does show the whole planet (just the land, not the oceans), and there are many more cool things to be seen."

FULL STORY: 28-Year Satellite Time-Lapse Shows Exactly What We’re Doing to Our Planet

Thursday, May 9, 2013 in Smithsonian

Land Use Technology World Landsat Google Earth Engine Time-lapse View More

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