Google Trees + Amazon Drought

November 30, 2010 11:13 AM

We've discussed the "once in a century" Amazon Drought of 2005-06. Five years later and we are seeing another once in a century drought in the Amazon. How serious are the effects of these droughts for global climate? The science appears to be mixed. Helping monitor is the newly released Google Earth 6.0, which can track individual trees within a section of the Amazonian forest, and 80 million other trees in 7 cities around the world (video).
posted by stbalbach (10 comments total)

I thought this was about Amazon.com sales during Cybermonday, but this is much more serious.
posted by TwelveTwo at 11:20 AM on November 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

Yeah, me too. I was like, "What drought? My Dr. Who DVDs shipped right away!"
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:22 AM on November 30, 2010

This highlights the real threat of climate change: it's not that the Earth is going to die any time soon, it's that a drastic change in weather patterns could have enormous consequences for what we call civilization.

The earth will always reach an equilibrium. Whether that state includes post-industrial society is up to us.
posted by notion at 11:28 AM on November 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

the newly released Google Earth 6.0, which can track individual trees within a section of the Amazonian forest

Google, you just blew my mind.
posted by dry white toast at 1:48 PM on November 30, 2010

So, did I miss a checkbox which preventing me from installing google chrome and having it become my default browser without my approval? That's some hinky shit.
posted by maxwelton at 1:54 PM on November 30, 2010

Google, you just blew my mind.

I feel like there's going to be a day when I'll wake up to find that Google earth 15.0 has dropped. Giddy with excitement, I'll rush to my computer, fire it up, and within seconds be able to see the back of my own head, staring at my computer.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 1:57 PM on November 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

thsmchnekllsfascists: "I feel like there's going to be a day when I'll wake up to find that Google earth 15.0 has dropped. Giddy with excitement, I'll rush to my computer, fire it up, and within seconds be able to see the back of my own head, staring at my computer."

Be careful what you wish for...
posted by Rhaomi at 2:06 PM on November 30, 2010

Be careful what you wish for...

AH! I knew I had seen something like that before. Thanks.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 2:09 PM on November 30, 2010

Google Trees + Amazon Drought

What do Google Trees have to do with an Amazon Drought?

Does this have anything to do with large women and binary searches?


posted by mmrtnt at 5:35 PM on November 30, 2010

the newly released Google Earth 6.0, which can track individual trees within a section of the Amazonian forest

Presumably because researchers are also tracking those trees and everything within x meters of them no? They used to do this with air photos in the old days so the selected trees are usually pretty notable.
posted by fshgrl at 9:19 PM on November 30, 2010