google earth's latest 'timelapse' feature showcases the planet changing before your eyes

today google launches its ‘timeline’ feature with google earth to offer a more comprehensive perspective on the changing conditions of the planet. documenting 1984 onward, the feature allows users to explore the earth in infinite detail across time, documenting growing cities and industry, and shifting oceans and rivers. for the past 15 years, billions of people have turned to google earth to explore the planet from infinite perspectives. from an overhead glance at the amazon rain forest, or a flyover of your hometown across the decades, the earth is surely a much different place than it was almost 40 years ago. since launching google earth, the team has created a 3D replica of the world that reflects our planet in magnificent detail with features that both entertain and empower everyone to create positive change.

the timelapse feature marks the biggest update to google earth since 2017, showcasing the planet across an entirely new dimension — time. with timelapse in google earth, 24 million satellite photos from the past 37 years have been compiled into an interactive 4D experience. time unfolds to exhibit nearly four decades of planetary change. timelapse is now available in google earth. to access it, launch google earth and tap the voyager tab. while you can explore on your own or search for a specific location, google offers five ‘guided tours,’ exploring forest change, urban growth, the warming planet, energy sources, and ‘the earth’s fragile beauty.’

google has also uploaded more than 800 timelapse videos in both 2D and 3D for public use. you can select any video you want as a ready-to-use mp4 video or sit back and watch the videos on youtube. 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 team at google worked with experts at carnegie mellon university’s CREATE Lab to create the technology behind timelapse, and worked with them again to make sense of what they were seeing.