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Google Earth Engine

Mapping, geospatial & alternative cartography toolsGIS softwareSatellite & Aerial ImagerySpatial data analysis
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Cloud-scale satellite data and analysis for monitoring Earth’s changes.

Google Earth Engine is a cloud platform for analyzing satellite imagery and other geospatial datasets at very large scale. It gives researchers, scientists, nonprofits, and developers access to decades of imagery and environmental data, along with tools for writing algorithms that detect change, map patterns, and measure conditions on Earth’s surface.

Why it stands out

  • Combines data hosting and large-scale computation, so users can analyze huge imagery collections without downloading them first.
  • Includes decades of historical satellite imagery alongside scientific datasets in one analysis environment.
  • Supports both interactive web-based coding and programmatic workflows through Python and JavaScript.
  • Used for high-impact environmental monitoring projects, including large-scale forest-change analysis.
  • Backed by Google’s cloud infrastructure, making planetary-scale processing practical for research teams.

Good to know

  • Commercial use is available separately, while the site states that academic and research use remains free.
  • Meaningful use generally requires geospatial analysis skills and coding in JavaScript or Python.
  • The platform is focused on Earth observation and spatial analysis, not general-purpose desktop GIS editing.

Photos

Illustration for Google Earth Engine