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Watch the Planet Change With Timelapse in Google Earth

A new interactive experience takes viewers on a wild ride through time.

By Stephanie Mlot
April 16, 2021
(Photo via Google)


We've all logged onto Google Earth to see what our house looks like from different angles. The service, however, is good for more than just sneaking a peek at our own lives. In the biggest update to Google Earth since 2017, users can now see our planet "in an entirely new dimension—time," Rebecca Moore, director of Earth Engine & Outreach, announced in a blog post.

Twenty-four million satellite images from the past 37 years have been stitched together to create Timelapse in Google Earth, an interactive experience that takes viewers on a wild ride through time; witness nearly four decades of planetary change occur before your eyes.

"Our planet has seen rapid environmental change in the past half-century—more than any other point in human history. Many of us have experienced these changes in our own communities," according to Moore, who was among the thousands of Californians evacuated from their homes during last year's wildfires.

"For other people, the effects of climate change feel abstract and far away, like melting ice caps and receding glaciers," she continued. "With Timelapse in Google Earth, we have a clearer picture of our changing planet right at our fingertips—one that shows not just problems but also solutions, as well as mesmerizingly beautiful natural phenomena that unfold over decades."

Visit g.co/Timelapse directly, or open Google Earth and click the ship's wheel icon on the left side to experience an accelerated geographic history via Google's storytelling platform Voyager. "As far as we know, Timelapse in Google Earth is the largest video on the planet, of our planet," Moore said.

The system isn't perfect: Timelapse automatically begins before the map has fully calibrated, and some of the imagery appears pixelated, staticky, and downright blurry. Still, it's interesting to see how megacities were born and how natural disasters have changed global landscapes. Try the "featured locations" option to watch glaciers melt, infrastructure appear, agriculture develop, and forests vanish.

Whether you're trying to convince someone of climate change or want to highlight the evolution of your hometown since 1984, YouTube embed codes and downloads are also available for more than 800 locations—from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Zwenkau, Germany.

"From governments and researchers to publishers, teachers, and advocates, we're excited to see how people will use Timelapse in Google Earth to shine a light on our planet," the blog said, tipping annual updates with new imagery. "We hope that this perspective of the planet will ground debates, encourage discovery, and shift perspectives about some of our most pressing global issues."

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About Stephanie Mlot

Contributor

Stephanie Mlot

B.A. in Journalism & Public Relations with minor in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)

Reporter at The Frederick News-Post (2008-2012)

Reporter for PCMag and Geek.com (RIP) (2012-present)

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