Google Earth - New Shoreline Images?

[GonnaCatchABig1]

i know theres another thread about goggle earth down there. but thats for the overlay.. and didn't want people to miss out on this.

if you look at google earth satellite images now, it seems as though they have taken new shoreline images. and seems like it might have been a fisherman's idea. the detail in the sand bars along the shore is amazing. when i used to look at it.. it just looked like water and some places was hard to make out the bars through waves and glare.. but now.. it looks as if the almost removed the water all together. the detail of the under water features is amazing compared to what it was a short while ago.
anyone know when they did this? i just noticed it and i'm pretty sure last time i looked was decemberish.. i'm seeing features i had never seen before. i know this area has been redone because it used to be a lot of sunny reflective white caps in areas i can now see right to the bottom.

actually i dont think they even took new pics.. cause the land based stuff is the same. but they definitely redid that water. i'm having a field day with it. i think they just enhanced what pics they had. the further south you get the better they get it seems.

[Clogston29]

they are just an aerial photo. the most recent ones in MA where done it 2005 (at least the most recent ones available to the public at Mass GIS). google may have just gotten around to updating them. The previous ones were 2001 and 2003. Google Earth just takes images from GIS services around the world and compiles the aerial photos. The clarity is based on the height of the plane taking the photos (I think its a plane, they may use satellite, depending on the desired clarity). Both the 2001, 2003 and 2005 images are 1:5,000 so the resolution sould be the same. Probably just taken on a less windy day, or a different stage in the tide which is why you can see underwater features better. Land doesn't really change, so the pictures look pretty much the same. You could probably compare shadows of buidings, etc. to verify if the land photos are different.

some of the photos in Europe are crystal clear compared to the US. I think it just depends on how much the government pays for the photos.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

actually some of the land ones did change.. some didnt.. when did they update though? must have been recently? when ever it was its a vast improvement over the old ones for over the water shots. the color and clarity is far better.

but back to the land updates.. it's odd cause a little south of here you can see a construction site that was fairly recent. thus updated. but the new building next to my house (which has been there since before the other construction site) still isn't there.. oh well.. thats not what i'm interested in any way.

on a side note.. wish they would take all the pictures around here in the summer.. theres only a hand full of summer pictures in MA. the rest are all brown and crummy lookin.

[1dozenraw]

Is there a site where the images are real time or at least fairly current... free or $$?

[thortum]

Originally Posted by GonnaCatchABig1

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side note.. wish they would take all the pictures around here in the summer.. theres only a hand full of summer pictures in MA. the rest are all brown and crummy lookin.

My guess is that they're taken in early spring. That's probable because of the lack of leaves which would obscure your view. Also, the air [and photos] is clearer when it's cold. No fog or heat waves to deal with.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

yeah i figured as much.. but the ones taken in summer look nice. of course thats just because winter depresses me. oh well. still happy with the update. granted they are a bit old. but not too much has changed from what i could make out before. now i can just see a bit better. the rocks on the bottom stand out like sore thumbs. which is what im really excited about.