Earth Art with Google Maps

When we look at maps or satellite pictures, we usually have a pretty good idea of how our world looks and what it should look like. And what we see on pictures of the Earth from outer space echoes our understanding of this by showing forests, mountains or fields. Familiar stuff. But the planet is vast, and so is the array of satellite pictures from obscure and scarcely visited corners of our world—and all of them can be found on Google Maps, if you look the right places. And so I did, and I collected the 19 abstruse satellite views found below.

Move your mouse over any map to see the location.

Don’t worry—you can scroll through the page freely without accidentally zooming.

“Earth Art” is about showing beautiful natural art from above by looking at incredibly unusual landscapes in places with extreme climate. And, because of technology, you don’t even have to leave your seat. But unlike GoogleSightseeing.com, this isn’t only for the obscurity: it’s for the art.

So follow me to where there’s no Street View and enjoy the abstract art of nature seen from above!

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=70.991928,145.003052&spn=0.768004,3.518372&t=k&z=9

Sakha, Northern Russia

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=45.228481,95.685425&spn=2.189705,7.910156&t=k&z=8

Gobi Desert, Mongolia

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=55.117263,-86.809845&spn=0.222264,0.98877&t=k&z=11

Northern Ontario, Canada

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.696518,-113.873634&spn=0.147329,0.494385&t=k&z=12

Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=70.823482,-155.722961&spn=0.255323,1.977539&t=k&z=10

North Slope, Alaska

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=-12.618814,-54.128051&spn=0.023703,0.061798&t=k&z=15

Mato Grosso, Brazil

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=68.010914,-139.481735&spn=0.145519,0.98877&t=k&z=11

Vuntut National Park, Yukon, Canada

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=66.56165,-145.973969&spn=0.154587,0.98877&t=k&z=11

Yukon River, Alaska

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=72.343297,-98.622894&spn=0.235761,1.977539&t=k&z=10

Prince of Wales Island, Northern Canada

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=53.130037,158.167591&spn=0.029148,0.123596&t=k&z=14

Southern Kamchatka, Eastern Russia

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=70.584331,-158.214111&spn=0.258385,1.977539&t=k&z=10

North Slope, Alaska

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=54.549766,-79.17572&spn=0.22541,0.98877&t=k&z=11

Northwestern Québec, Canada

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=47.883197,94.036102&spn=0.521281,1.977539&t=k&z=10

Dorgon Lake, Mongolia

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=64.926161,-149.181976&spn=0.164701,0.98877&t=k&z=11

Tanana River, Alaska

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=61.864245,-115.076294&spn=0.183269,0.98877&t=k&z=11

Great Slave Lake, Canada

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.281633,83.401015&spn=0.009401,0.030899&t=k&z=16

Tarim Basin, West China

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=56.000301,156.184731&spn=0.108662,0.494385&t=k&z=12

West Kamchatka, Eastern Russia

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.159305,-78.010483&spn=0.248985,0.98877&t=k&z=11

Western Québec, Canada

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=66.312414,-145.051804&spn=0.156137,0.98877&t=k&z=11

Yukon River, Alaska

Update, April 22nd: Want more? As a celebration of Earth Day, there’s a brand new set of 37 Earth Art satellite images out: Earth Art pt. II!

March 13, 2010. Previous post / Next post peculiarity, art

53 comments Post a comment

Atro wrote at March 13th, 2010, 3:53 PM

You’re missing Australia and Africa. But Canada and Alaska are really well represented, I must say.

Andy Graulund wrote at March 13th, 2010, 5:03 PM

Yep—there’s a lot of unexplored places left. I’m definitely going to do this again some other time.

hellen wrote at March 14th, 2010, 11:51 AM

is that your photo? :wow:

we want to see more!

Andy Graulund wrote at March 14th, 2010, 1:57 PM

No, no, these are not my photos.

They are satellite photos taken straight from Google Maps, the online maps web app. I just explore the map a lot and find a lot of remote places that look really cool.

hellen wrote at March 14th, 2010, 2:00 PM

i wasn’t talking about those

i was talking about the tiny photo next to your name

i know you from dA, but never seen any photos of you :D

Andy Graulund wrote at March 14th, 2010, 2:11 PM

Ah! Indeed, that’s me! :)

Nyssa wrote at March 14th, 2010, 11:11 AM

Nice collection there, Andy. Would like to see some more! :)

Payam wrote at March 14th, 2010, 12:32 PM

This is awesome! I can’t wait to see more places :D

eli wrote at March 16th, 2010, 8:51 PM

This is lovely! But do the Everglades please!

Maarten wrote at March 17th, 2010, 7:57 AM

A nice example of Satellite art! Read more on Satellite art (Satart) here: http://satartmovement.blogspot.com/

Lukas wrote at March 17th, 2010, 2:27 PM

canada is the shit im proud of where i come from eh! hahaha….love the space

fred wrote at March 17th, 2010, 2:56 PM

Hey, I just stumbled thru here… cool selection! What is the font for the header where it says earth art?
Could you drop me a mail for that? Cheers

Andy Graulund wrote at March 18th, 2010, 2:57 AM

Hi Fred, thanks! The typeface is Bistro Script Web, as found on Typekit here.

donald leland wrote at March 17th, 2010, 3:29 PM

how about patagonia ?

facu wrote at March 17th, 2010, 5:00 PM

Very Cool, Good Work! Thanks for share it.

Lucy wrote at March 18th, 2010, 9:51 PM

This is really cool and beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing it with us! I can’t wait to see more. Makes me wanna do yet another long hour filled google maps time

procrastinator wrote at March 19th, 2010, 12:51 AM

wow! Are you sure those aren’t manipulated on photoshop? i think i can detect some stamp-cloning there.

Bruce M. Sauter wrote at March 19th, 2010, 4:11 PM

It’s all in the perspective…thx for the great view.

James wrote at March 20th, 2010, 5:43 PM

Andy, when will you stop being so *awesome*?!

nikia wrote at March 20th, 2010, 6:35 PM

This is really amazing, so beautiful!!!!! You could see God’s creative hand. Thanks for these spectature pictures.

miguel wrote at March 21st, 2010, 4:59 AM

anyone’s gonna say “FRACTAL” before involving on it the Allmighty :-)?

Jamie wrote at March 21st, 2010, 7:21 AM

You can use this script to generate arbitrarily detailed maps:

http://www.jportsmouth.com/code/Stitch/stitch.html

Vasca wrote at March 21st, 2010, 6:35 PM

Wonderful pictures, cannot argue with the master plan.

Thanks

Patrick wrote at March 22nd, 2010, 10:17 AM

Very cool.

I wonder, though, is the rust colored splotch on the first Yukon River picture some sort of man-made pillage? It doesn’t look natural.

Thanks for sharing.

Andy Graulund wrote at March 28th, 2010, 4:55 AM

I think it’s simply a slightly false-colour image. But it does look cool regardless!

Dian wrote at March 22nd, 2010, 10:24 AM

Andy, I’m no artist. But how could I capture these and generate my own photos?
Thanks!
— Di

Andy Graulund wrote at March 28th, 2010, 4:52 AM

Hi Dian!

Go to Google Maps, turn on satellite view and zoom in on some interesting area. Then click the “Link” button in the top right.

HaroldFredShort wrote at March 22nd, 2010, 11:20 AM

Try the salt ponds around the southern end of the San Francisco bay:
http://maps.google.com/?ll=37.496193,-122.196293&spn=0.010266,0.024462&t=h&z=16

HaroldFredShort wrote at March 22nd, 2010, 11:22 AM

The link above only got part of the address, copy the whole URL into your browser.

Andy Graulund wrote at March 28th, 2010, 4:57 AM

Indeed, that’s a very interesting place too; especially considering its proximity to the highly modern and civilised buildings in that area.

And, the bug in the link parsing has been fixed, and so now your link works. :)

Julia Ireland wrote at March 23rd, 2010, 3:27 AM

Brilliant Andy, thanks v.much for sharing this, I love to look out of the aeroplane window at the world but invariably clouds and wings obscure the view! This is way better, the patterns and shapes you’ve highlighted here are amazing to look at, there is so much out there to see, stuff you ordinarily wouldn’t, spectacular…more please!