Traveling back in time? Check out “Timelapse” for Google Earth that lets you do this

Labatella

April 19, 2021, 2:03 pm

The popular Google Earth program, which shows a 3D representation of Earth based on satellite imagery, as of Thursday, includes a new time layer for you to observe the planet’s evolution in the past 37 years.

The new function of the mapping service uses 24 million satellite images captured over the past four decades, while Google, the program’s owner, has called it a 4D product because it adds time to the three spatial dimensions.

“With Google Earth’s Timelapse, we are providing the user with a clearer picture of how our planet is changing.” A company spokesperson said in an interview with reporters, including Eevee, that the image not only shows problems, but solutions as well.

Any internet user who wishes can access the new functionality through g.co/ Timelapse, by clicking on the ship helm icon and selecting the “Timelapse” option.

Google’s idea is that researchers, governments, companies, and nonprofits around the world can use this free tool to monitor the effects of the climate crisis.

The 24 million images used in Timelapse, ranging from 1984 to 2020, together represent quadrillion pixels, which took more than 2 million hours to process.

To develop the product, Mountain View Corporation (California, USA) used data provided to the public by the US government and the European Union. EFE