Google Earth Studio introduces news way to animate detailed geographic features. 

 

In addition to the existing topographical and 2D geo-tiled maps, some parts of the globe have been mapped in high resolution 3D, using a combination of satellite altimetry and aircraft-based LIDAR, allowing us to animate areas of the Earth’s surface, including landscape, buildings – even trees – in unprecedented detail.

Additional parameters, such as time of day, cloud cover and KML overlays, can be added to these animations to provide additional information or context.

I created this quick flyby of our former home-town in Germany, to showcase this new kind of animation.