Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
What does Google Earth Mean
for the Social Sciences?
Michael F. Goodchild
National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, and Department of Geography,
University of California, Santa Barbara
Google Earth is an easy-to-use service for visualizing the surface of the Earth, and is readily
extended to act as an output medium for a wide range of products of social-science research.
It and other currently available geobrowsers closely approximate the vision of Digital Earth.
Its designers overcame several apparently daunting technical problems, including the need
for a hierarchical data structure and clever level-of-detail management. While the service
is available to all, its use relies on fundamental spatial concepts, some of which are highly
technical. Besides acting as an output medium, Google Earth presents a subject for social
research in its own right, and there is a pressing need to address some of the issues identified
in the earlier social critiques of cartography and geographic information systems. Several
issues are identified that might, if addressed, lead to future geobrowsers that better meet the
needs of social scientists.
2.1 Introduction
Google Earth was launched in early 2005, and quickly captured the popular imagination.
Anyone with minimal computing skills, a basic personal computer and an Internet connec-
tion was able to download the software, see an image of the Earth, zoom from global to local
scales, and simulate flight over prominent features such as the Eiffel Tower. The service came
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