Google Earth: A journey through time
Joy is coming for those who appreciate history and geography! Google has kickstarted an exciting new functionality on Google Earth, making historical images from diverse locations around the world accessible, up to 80 years back. The satellite and aerial pictures show the transformation of our planet across the decades.
Landscapes changed as time passed
The range of dramatic changes includes observations over a five-year evolution of a reservoir in California as well as photographs of pre-World War II London, Berlin and Warsaw. Images of American cities including San Francisco from 1938 next to those from 2022 are accessible, giving a special look at urban evolution.
An expansion of Street View
Meanwhile, Google has widened the scope of its Street View service to nearly 80 countries, with pictures of places like Logstor in Denmark, Oaxaca in Mexico, and Tasman in New Zealand. The addition of a 15-pound camera mountable on any car has allowed Google to broaden its Street View cache, which now exceeds 280 billion images.
AI-powered technology
At last, technology as we know it in 2024 would have a piece without mentioning artificial intelligence. To craft clearer, brighter images on Google Earth and Google Maps, Google has taught its AI model, Cloud Score+, to detect and eliminate haze, fog, and cloud shadows.
These innovations enable Google to create a remarkable level of engagement with history, allowing us to improved our understanding of the evolution of our world and to illustrate how time affects our landscapes.