Humanity never stays still, and it doesn't hesitate to modify its surroundings. These modifications aren't always positive (deforestation, for example), but they represent part of the many challenges we face. So how can we visualize these changes? That's where Google comes to the rescue with its Timelapse service, which has been around for a few years but now incorporates new high-resolution imagery.
The factory across from my house is currently being demolished. It's been there for as long as I can remember, and I admit the feeling is strange. But some things change. Our neighborhoods, our communities, our cities. And with so many satellites in orbit looking down, we can see these changes like never before. That brings us to Google Earth Timelapse, an initiative involving the Mountain View giant, Carnegie Mellon University, USGS, NASA, and TIME magazine. In 2013, Google Earth Timelapse compiled satellite images from 1984 to 2012. Yesterday, Google announced a general update, adding four additional years of imagery.
Las Vegas, Brisbane, San Francisco, Miami, Dubai with its artificial islands… the growth of some regions has been impressive. But the same applies to the impact of erosion and droughts, the disappearance of glaciers, and the advance of deforestation to prepare farmland. In total, Google Earth Timelapse processed more than five million images, equivalent to about 3 trillion pixels. The Landsat 8 (NASA-USGS) and Sentinel-2 (European Space Agency) satellites provided the new imagery.
How to Explore the Timelapse
There are two ways to view this formidable timelapse: head to the official Google Earth Timelapse page (link below) or watch the tour of 24 videos that Google posted on YouTube. Unfortunately, I experienced several performance issues when visiting the site with the latest version of Firefox, but it's likely a problem with my system or an unexpected bug in the browser's acceleration. Don't hesitate to try it and look for your cities. You might be surprised.
