Google has partnered with CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University to launch the largest update to the Google Earth platform in recent years: a timelapse feature that shows how much the Earth and its climate have changed between 1984 and 2021.
Google Earth was launched as a way to look at different places on the planet through a 3D replica of the world. In a blog post, Google says that its purpose with Google Earth was to present the planet in “magnificent details” in order to entertain, but also to empower people to make positive changes, as the company pointed out in a blog in July 2020.
But like Squid laughs reports, Google takes this to the next level by adding a new dimension to the mix: time. Google says this is the biggest update it has made to the platform since 2017 and uses data from 24 million satellite photos over the past 37 years, compiled together into a 4D interactive experience.
Timelapse in Google Earth is the visual proof of the dynamic changes on our planet from climate change and human behavior. Our hope is that it will be used to educate and inspire.
Go to https://t.co/PFPV1qhWXx to access over 800 ready-to-use videos to create your own stories. pic.twitter.com/p3wHAnWmqY
– Google Earth (@googleearth) April 15, 2021
“Now anyone can watch the passage of time and witness nearly four decades of planetary change,” writes Rebecca Moore, director of Google Earth, Earth Engine and Outreach. “Our planet has undergone rapid environmental changes in the last half century – more than any other point in human history … With Timelapse in Google Earth, we have a clearer picture of our changing planet right at hand – one that shows not only problems but also solutions, as well as fascinatingly beautiful natural phenomena that take place over the decades. ”
Google Earth Timelapse can be accessed here, and the search bar lets you choose any place on the planet that you want to explore over time. In addition, the technology giant has uploaded over 800 timelapse videos here in both 2D and 3D. These videos can be used in their native MP4 state or viewed on YouTube.
“While watching what was happening, five themes emerged: changing forests, urban growth, warm temperatures, energy sources and the fragile beauty of our world. Google Earth takes you on a guided tour of each topic to better understand them, ”Moore continues.
The Earth’s climate warmed rapidly over an astonishingly short period of time. According to NASA, there is indisputable scientific evidence for global warming. This proof is “unequivocal.”
While the planet has undergone warming and cooling cycles over the past 650,000 years (seven recorded cycles of glacial advance and retreat), the current warming trend is of particular importance because it is highly probable (with a probability greater than 95). %) the result of human activity since the middle of the twentieth century. The heat rate is also “unprecedented over decades to millennia.”
“We invite anyone to take Timelapse into their own hands and share it with others – whether you’re wondering about the change in coastline, the rise of megalopots or the pursuit of deforestation,” says Moore. “Timelapse in Google Earth is about shrinking to assess the health and well-being of our only home and is a tool that can educate and inspire action.”