Google Earth

Google Earth – Providing a Bird’s Eye View of Our World

Many years ago, geography classes and individuals who studied the earth’s topography invested in fancy globes. In June 2005, Google changed all that with the release of Google Earth. Today the earth’s mountain ridges, flat plains, valleys and even the depth of the oceans, rivers and lakes are accessed through the geobrowser called Google Earth. Via satellite imagery, Google puts the topography of the world into the hands of any user with an Internet connection.

Versions of Google Earth

• Free – Google Earth’s free version is available for home and personal use. Users are able to display satellite imagery, plus aerial topography. Google frequently expands the layers of mappable data, including now allowing the display of third party applications.

Google Earth Free has tools for creating new types of data, with the ability to import specific GPS data across networks. Schools benefit tremendously from the free version. Each entity permitted to use the free version can take advantage of Geo

GeoEducation, is a site available to educators with helpful and informative tips on using Google Earth, Maps, Sky and SketchUp in a classroom setting. Universities and trade schools also have access to Google Earth Free if it is used for non-commercial reasons.

• Pro – Google Earth Pro was developed for commercial users and had the capability to make movies. It also permitted the importing of various ESRI shapefiles, along with other Map Information tabs and files. Pro could measure circles and polygons, plus print in high-resolution.

Many of the features are detailed and fairly intricate for the novice map user, but with a Google account and the license code GEPFREE, users can explore the additional features of the free version for just that, free.

• Enterprise – There aren’t really any dramatic additions to the Enterprise version, other than it rightfully helps to generate the funds necessary to keep the project alive for those who cannot afford to pay for Google Earth. It is the only version that does allow employees and staff members of large organizations and corporations to share geospatial data across their network.

How Does Google Earth Work?

All three versions of Google Earth function as both a data reader and a format to create new data. It uses the Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format, which enables all users to create and share their data. It differs from Google Maps, which was developed with the priority objective of providing accurate driving directions and primarily maps of documented roads. Google Earth opens up the whole spectrum of earthly topography, from highways, byways and train tracks, expanded into the mountainous terrain and the depths of the oceans.

Google Earth Features

• Google Earth uses the digital elevation model (DEM) from data collected during the NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM).
• Using special applications, users can add their own data and distinguishing measurements to different things on earth, such as their own buildings, homes, parking lots, or farmlands
• Real-time traffic monitoring.
• GPS tracking integration.
• Google Earth 9, released in April 2017, has an added feature called Voyager. On a portal page, users can take guided tours with earth scientists.
• There is a plugin called Google Earth API allowing users to incorporate individual maps into websites.
• There is an outreach program that generates charitable donations to help non-profit projects.
• Available for all Windows OS, Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or higher and Linux. There is even an iPhone version available that displays the same high graphic content available on desktop versions.

Summary

From the days when the only way to get an aerial view of the earth was to spin a globe, Google Earth has brought the earth’s topography into classrooms, offices and home living rooms. It’s like flying over the earth in a private space shuttle, the mouse and keyboard as the controls. For inquisitive minds who want to really step out into the solar system, there is even Google 5 to explore Mars for research, Google Moon and Liquid Galaxy.

Google Earth Video Preview