An online mapping service like Google Maps or satellite imagery from resources like Google Earth can provide detailed information about the terrain in a particular area before you arrive. Additionally, topographic maps or trail maps specific to the region may offer more detailed insights into the landscape's features.
Infrared satellite imagery can be used to identify thunderstorms due to their distinctive cold cloud tops. Thunderstorms usually have high cloud tops that are colder than surrounding clouds, making them easily identifiable on infrared satellite images by their brightness and structure.
Satellite imagery provides ecologists with a large-scale perspective of ecosystems, helping to monitor land use changes, habitat loss, and ecological health over time. It allows for the detection of patterns, trends, and disturbances across vast areas that may not be accessible on the ground, aiding in conservation planning and management decisions.
Satellite imagery allows researchers to monitor changes in oceans, lakes, and rivers over large geographical areas and long periods of time. It provides valuable data on water quality, surface temperature, ice coverage, and coastal erosion, helping scientists study the dynamics of the hydrosphere and its interactions with the environment.
The population of GeoEye is 2,008.
With satellite imagery, one can see images of photographs of any place on Earth. Satellite imagery is more detailed and clearer than Infrared images.
You can access current satellite images from various sources including government agencies like NASA and NOAA, commercial satellite imagery providers like Maxar and Planet Labs, and online mapping services like Google Earth and Bing Maps. Most of these sources offer free or paid access to current satellite imagery.
NASA provides vast archives of satellite imagery of earth much of which are available online such as the NASA Image Gallery. Google Maps and Google Earth are great tools to see satellite imagery of earth. In Google Maps remember to change "Map" view to "Satellite" to display the satellite imagery. Google gets its imagery from a number of commercial imagery providers including: DigitalGlobe and GeoEye, which operate a constellation of high-resolution Earth-imaging satellites, mapping aircraft and an international network of ground stations.
A map aerial photo is a photograph taken from an aircraft that provides a detailed view of the Earth's surface, while satellite imagery is captured by satellites orbiting the Earth. Satellite imagery covers larger areas and can be updated more frequently, while aerial photos offer higher resolution and detail. Additionally, satellite imagery can be used for real-time monitoring and tracking, while aerial photos are often used for localized mapping projects.
Satellite maps are as current as when they taken and depends on the satellite provider and/or source for the imagery. The base imagery, for example, in Google Earth and Google Maps is on average 3-5 years old. Weather imagery and overlays in Google Earth on the other hand are updated an hourly basis. Satellite imagery is Google Earth/Maps is incrementally updated usually about every 2-3 weeks in whatever area an update is available -- the entire globe isn't updated all at once. Likewise, Bing Maps updates its imagery once a month with typically more than 10TB of imagery, but its aerial and Bird's-Eye images for a particular location can sometimes be several years out-of-date.
For past years earth-based satellite imagery in Google Earth you can select 'Historical Imagery' under View menu. This shows a timeline slider from which to select available satellite and aerial imagery from the past. NASA also provides vast archives of satellite imagery much of which are available online such as the NASA Image Gallery
Google Earth 6 is the most current version of Google Earth. As for the satellite imagery and layers hosted by Google, the same data appears on Google Earth 5 and Google Earth 6 alike. In fact, Google Maps for the most part shows the same satellite imagery as that in Google Earth but sometimes the imagery updates for one is slightly ahead of the other. The frequency of imagery updates is answered in a related question. See related questions for details.
Google Maps uses the same satellite data as Google Earth, most of which is approximately one to three years old. The roads and place names, etc. are updated on a continuous basis. Google does not provide detailed information about when a specific area will be updated in advance but you can receive e-mail notification when your area of interest was updated.
Google Maps provides satellite and map views in addition to Street Views. The satellite view of Google Maps uses the same backend satellite imagery database used by Google Earth.The satellite imagery are typically from the GeoEye or DigitalGlobe owned satellites, and some of the imagery are actually aerial photos from aircraft using special high resolution cameras.
Google Earth's imagery comes from a variety of sources such as aerial photos and commercial satellite imagery. Some of the imagery even comes from kites and air balloons. Google buys or licenses the use of this imagery. Some of the imagery is given to Google by city or state governments. The primary sources for Google's satellite imagery comes from GeoEye and DigitalGlobe.
NASA provides vast archives of satellite imagery much of which are available online such as the NASA Image Gallery.Google Maps is a great tool to see satellite imagery of earth. Remember to change "Map" view to "Satellite" to display the satellite imagery.If you need better (higher resolution) imagery, you could try other mapping programs or, if you have the resources, you could consider purchasing imagery for your own use.Here are a few companies with websites to start with, but there are others, try doing an internet search for satellite and aerial imagery:DigitalGlobeSpot ImageMapMartTerrametricsTerraServer
Actually its not the altitude of the satellite but the resolution of the camera that is responsible for a high resolution imagery. In fact the better resolution imagery in Google Earth comes from aerial and street-level photography.