• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Google Earth Blog

The amazing things about Google Earth

  • Home
  • About
  • Basics
  • Links
  • Tips
  • 3D Models
  • Sightseeing
  • Videos

NASA Near Earth Observations in Google Earth

October 12, 2015

We recently came across an interesting set of animations on YouTube. They are:

  • Monthly Water Vapor (Aqua/MODIS) 2002-2013
  • Monthly Albedo 2000-2013
  • Monthly Solar Insolation 2006-2013
  • Monthly Sea-Surface Temperature Anomalies 2002-2011
  • Monthly Carbon Monoxide (Terra/MOPITT) 2000-2013

The data for the animations comes from NASA Near Earth Observation data. We mentioned this site in 2007, but there is a lot more data available than there was then. We count 71 different datasets, many of which include daily data for most of the world and fairly comprehensive monthly data. We had a look at the Average Cloud Cover map earlier this year.

The YouTube animations above only go up to 2013, but the data is actually available almost to the current date. All the maps can be viewed in Google Earth. Just look to the right of the map under “File Type” and select “Google Earth” and then select the highest resolution available and it will download as a KML file viewable in Google Earth.


Outgoing longwave radiation – September 2015

It is also relatively easy to download a series of images and create an animation similar to the YouTube videos. For example, we created this KMZ file that shows an animation of Solar Insolation for the past year. For best results, click the spanner icon on the timeslider and make sure ‘loop animation’ is ticked. To run the animation click the icon that looks like a combined clock and a play button on the time slider.

About Timothy Whitehead

Timothy has been using Google Earth since 2004 when it was still called Keyhole before it was renamed Google Earth in 2005 and has been a huge fan ever since. He is a programmer working for Red Wing Aerobatx and lives in Cape Town, South Africa.

  • More Posts(754)

Filed Under: Site News Tagged With: nasa






PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.



PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Primary Sidebar

RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter




Categories

  • 3D Models (792)
  • Applications (708)
  • Business (288)
  • Environment (353)
  • Flying (208)
  • GE Plugin (282)
  • Google Earth News (1,764)
  • Google Earth Tips (592)
  • GPS (136)
  • Navigation (227)
  • Network Links (214)
  • Sailing (121)
  • Science (499)
  • Sightseeing (1,903)
  • Site News (587)
  • Sky (67)
  • Sports (154)
  • Street View (50)
  • Tours (117)
  • Video (421)
  • Weather (180)

Get new posts by email

Get new posts by email:

Google Earth Satellites

Copyright 2005-© 2023 Frank Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

This blog and its author are not an official source of information from Google that produces and owns Google Earth Google and Google Earth are trademarks of Google Inc.. All image screenshots from Google Earth are Copyright Google. All other trademarks appearing here are the trademarks of their respective owners.