Google Earth has been a popular program since its launch back in 2004, and it has certainly evolved over time. They’ve added everything from underwater exploration to mapping of trees on the landscape to the ability to track down Santa as he makes his annual flights. However, this impressive program is now being used for something else: helping scientists measure global-level changes in the environment.
That’s all thanks to a service known as Earth Engine that’s currently in Google labs. CS Monitor gives us the full details. The Earth Engine data allows access to images from over 25 years of satellite imaging, and provides all the current analysis tools that Google has developed since its launch, including some that aren’t a part of the public-facing version of the Google Earth program.
“Scientific analysis can transform these images from a mere set of pixels into useful information,” read the statement from the official Google Blog post written at the Earth Engine launch. A few prominent areas of data that can be examined are deforestation, water resource mapping, and natural disasters.
Google first announced the lab at the International Climate Change Conference, which took place in December of 2010. The conference was aimed at bringing the best minds and resources together to form connections and solutions to the growing problem of global warming (as well as other less-known climate changes).
Unlike most of the Google labs, which are available to anyone who registers, the Earth Engine is currently only accessible by approved partners. More specifically, Google is teaming with universities, non-profit organizations, scientists, and government groups. As with many Google Lab products, however, an eventual public release is expected, although there is no word yet on exactly when this may occur.
