Google Earth has just rolled out some fresh imagery for us! Thanks to GEB reader ‘Cristobal’ for being the first to let us know about it.
[UPDATE 12-August: Google’s blog post about the update has been released, and the KML file has been updated]

As is almost always the case, you can use Google Maps to determine for sure whether or not a specific area is fresh. This new imagery isn’t in Google Maps yet, so you can compare Earth vs. Maps to see what’s new; the fresh imagery is already in Google Earth, but the old imagery is still in Google Maps. If you compare the two side-by-side and they’re not identical, that means that you’ve found a freshly updated area in Google Earth!
[UPDATED — 11-August, 7:16am EST]
- Angola: Luanda and Cataumbela — thanks ‘Snakeye’
- Argentina: Buenos Aires — thanks ‘Cristobal’
- Australia: Various areas — thanks ‘Pete’
- Chile: Coquimbo and La Serena — thanks ‘Cristobal’
- China: Dalian, Nanning — thanks ‘Cristobal’
- Japan: Various cities — thanks ‘Munden’
- Poland: Dobrzyn and Wisla — thanks ‘Przekek’
- Thailand: Sattahip — thanks ‘Munden’
- United States: Chicago, IL — thanks ‘ChrisK’
- Uruguay: Various areas — thanks ‘Roberto’
- Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City — thanks ‘Cristobal’
If you find any other updated areas, please leave a comment and let us know!
About Mickey Mellen
Mickey has been using Google Earth since it was released in 2005, and has created a variety of geo-related sites including Google Earth Hacks. He runs a web design firm in Marietta, GA, where he lives with his wife and two kids.
Chicago, IL 7/1/2010
Chicago IL, USA (July 1st, 2010)
Buenos Aires, Argentina (June 10, 2010)
Excellent! Buenos Aires updated!
Thanks.
CHINA
– Nanning (Western part. February 28, 2010)
– Dalian (October 29, 2009)
CHILE
– La Serena (June 12, 2010)
– Coquimbo (June 12, 2010)
Japan: Kanazawa, Nikko, Nagasaki, Kawatana-Town west to Tawaragaurachō.
Poland: Dobrzyń nad Wisłą (01 august 2009)
Thailand: Sattahip
Northern Laos
Luanda and Catumbela in Angola also have new 2010 imagery.
Brasil: Maringá
Misiones, Argentina: Leandro N. Alem, Santa Ana, Campo Viera, San Ignacio
Buenos Aires Province, Argentina: Atucha Nuclear Plant, Lima, Zárate
Area north of Wollongong, Australia is from 12 July 2010.
Burma/Myanmar: Yangon and the area just south of it
India: Visakhapatnam (again. that area got an update quite recently)
Updates in Uruguay for beaches to the SW of Montevideo: Las Toscas, Parque del Plata, Las Vegas, La Floresta, Costa Azul and Guazuvira Nuevo. Thanks!
My area in Maumee Ohio is so outdated that the house I built in 2008 still doesn’t exist.
The area where I work, Tete and Moatize in Mozambique (where big coal mining installations are being built) has new imagery that is less than 2 month old. Awesome!
Modesto,CA
Demak, Kudus and Surrounding area in Indonesia have the imagery updated (Indonesia get it too ;))
Ken: you should use this form to request an update – https://earth.google.com/support/bin/request.py?contact_type=data&&hl=en
Duitama, Paipa – Boyacá – Colombia
Finland: Kotka
Hello, today I read in my lokal newspaper that Google Earth will be adding street view imagery of Germany later this year, very good news! There apparently were some privacy issues to be solved first, that is why it took so long.
United States: Modesto, California
There is some new SPOT imagery in Guatemala.
Also, there is some new SPOT imagery in Belize, extreme western Honduras, and in Nicaragua.
There is also new SPOT imagery in Kenya and Uganda.
Sweden has more SPOT imagery, mostly along the northern coast.
Jan – Street View in Germany – apparently Google have set up a website to allow householders to request removal of images of their houses IN ADVANCE of the release of the Street View imagery. Otherwise the removal option will be as elsewhere.
Makes you wonder how householders know images breach privacy before seeing them, and also how Google will treat removal requests from just one occupier in one of the very many low and medium rise appartment buildings, perhaps with a business on the ground floor, in Germany.
New imagery seems to be in Tanzania in the killimanjaro region
Patna, India 15/jun/2010
Google’s blog post gives a link to the KML-file, but this file hasn’t been updated yet. I only see the update of July 29th.
At least, at this moment (Aug. 12, 11 PM Western European Time).
How comes you can’t see the picture of the alien in berkeley heights,NJ. I searched it for a half hour
The Google blog may say the KML has been updated, but as of 9:00 PM US EDT, it hasn’t been.
New Images in kuwait
Managf and Ahmadi and North Jahra Military Airport
kml for update not for august but only for last months ..check it !
KML is updated now! But what a poor quality some imagery has. For example: 6 45 25 S 107 19 50 E, the area of Cipeundeuy, Indonesia, is almost black! Looks like is was taken during the nigth. The same for the new imagery of Buenos Aires, southern part. It’s not really an improvement…. And probably many other places…
It looks like the image quality for Chicago has degraded. But it is good to finally see the new runway and other improvements at O’Hare finally.
INDIA – Goa –> April 2010
Conakry, Guinea
Please update Iceland
Possible new round of updates August 24.
Pittsburgh, PA imagery now July 3, 2010.
Please Update Mt. Merapi, Indonesia
we got crisis time here, we couldn’t even see here because almost everyday that mountain always covered up by mist and its erupted every single day. Thanks!
Request for new imagery of Arun Valley in Nepal
Thanks for better image of Arun Valley but it is still very old (2002).
Request for new imagery of Bali Island. Thanks