mapping man-made modifications

A lot of changes are happening to our planet each day - for example, look at this five-second time-lapse to see the expansion of Dubai from 1984 to 2012. Hit the Play button to begin after it loads.

This amazing visual data was taken from Google Earth Engine, a platform to quantify differences on the Earth's surface. As given on the site,

"Google Earth Engine brings together the world's satellite imagery — trillions of scientific measurements dating back almost 40 years — and makes it available online with tools for scientists, independent researchers, and nations to mine this massive warehouse of data to detect changes, map trends and quantify differences on the Earth's surface. Applications include: detecting deforestation, classifying land cover, estimating forest biomass and carbon, and mapping the world’s roadless areas."

On the site there are more examples, such as the Amazon Deforestation, Growth of Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia Irrigation among others. There are even tools that let you create your own workspace to chart your area of interest.

Somebody wise once said, "You should always strive to learn profound things about things that surround you."

True.

Very true.

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