Google has made available a 3d version of the already existing TimeLapse feature. The function uses 24 million satellite images to generate the 3d view. Users can choose their own locations, or view places selected by Google.

Timelapse in Google Earth

For the 3D Timelapse function, Google made from those millions of satellite images, which accounted for 20 petabytes of images in total, one video. To do this, Google used thousands of computers that took more than 200 million hours to compile the video. The video mosaic is 4.4 terapixel large, writes Google. For the Timelapse feature, Google collaborates with the Create Lab at Carnegie Mellon University.

As a result, users can go anywhere on Earth and see in 3d how the environment has changed over the past decades. Google has also collected multiple eye-catching locations and timelapses in stories and themes. These themes revolve around climate change, human impact on nature, nature in general or growing cities.
These locations can be viewed as a “story”, with users going through different pre-selected locations and texted about what they see. In addition, there are Featured Locations, single locations that could be of interest to a user for some reason.
The satellite images come from different organizations. Google uses for Timelapse, for example, NASA's Landsat satellites, or the Sentinel satellites of the EU programme Copernicus. Google promises to update Timelapse annually with new images over the next ten years. Timelapse was used in 2d for years.

Source Tweakers

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