The program maps the Earth by superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and GIS data onto a 3D globe, allowing users to see cities and landscapes from various angles. Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. Linux ( Ubuntu 14/ Fedora 23-equivalent or later).The global data for building footprint, height and volume can be downloaded from. Our results provide novel insights into the global distribution of 3D built-up patterns and offer new opportunities for the assessments of urban environmental impacts. In particular, floor space per person exceeds 200 m 2 in both Oceania and North America, while it is only 29 m 2 in South Asia and 38 m 2 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, we find large variations in 3D built-up patterns, both within and across world regions. Our results show that buildings worldwide are 6.16-m high on average, and total building volume is 1645 km 3, which is the equivalent of a solid cube of 12 km on each side. Independent testing indicates that R 2 values of the global models for built-up footprint, height, and volume equal 0.89, 0.73, and 0.84, respectively. These data are estimated using random forest models, fed with a wide range of spatial data and trained on reference data from all continents except Antarctica. Here, we present global maps of 3D built-up patterns at a 1-km 2 resolution for the nominal year 2015. However, while data on horizontal patterns are abundant, they are relatively rare for vertical patterns.

Horizontal and vertical patterns of built-up land are essential to analyse a range of environmental change impacts, such as exposure to natural hazards, urban heat islands, and trapping air pollution, as well as for decision making in this context.

Globe map of world 3d