When we think of Google maps, it is normal that Google Maps or, at most, Google Earth come to mind. However, the company announced a few weeks ago Dynamic World, a world map that shows almost in real time and with a resolution never seen before land use of the entire earth’s surface.
Dynamic Worlds is part of a joint initiative by Google and the World Resources Institute to analyze images from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite with the help of artificial intelligence and create the most detailed map to date of what covers the Earth’s land: water, crops, cities, trees and more. The data is accessible to anyone and can be easily consulted from the Dynamic World website.
A technical and little-known map from Google
Google continues to enhance its maps with more and more detail and layers with additional details. An example of this is the latest layer of air quality in Google Maps or the arrival of toll prices on routes. Google Maps and Google Earth are enough for most users, but Google has decided to launch an even more detailed version focused on a single purpose: to show the use of the soil of the entire surface of the Earth.
It may be a trivial matter, but Google explains on its blog that it is tremendously complicated for organizations, governments and entities that need to access an up-to-date database of what’s on what site. Traditional data collection is usually focused on one type of data (for example, where is there snow) and can take time to update. That’s where Dynamic World comes in, a joint initiative of Google and the World Resources Institute.
Dynamic World can also be consulted from the mobile
Dynamic World is the first land use database with near global coverage, a Global resolution of almost 10 meters and update in near real time. It is precisely this update that provides one of its main uses for researchers, since you can, for example, see how events such as a natural disaster (or climate change) affect the earth.
This is possible because in Dynamic World maps can be compared at two specific timeswith a slider to easily see the differences between the before and after dates entered.
All Dynamic World data is available to developers, researchers or anyone curious through Google Earth Engine, although it is also possible to consult a web version of the map at this address, which you can also consult from your mobile.
These are maps with very specific purposes but they are quite curious. On the map you can see which parts of any part of the world are water, trees, grass, flooded vegetation, crops, built-up areas, with or without snowalso being able to consult the data on different dates and retroactively, from June 2015.
More information | Google
