Big data comes to the forest [News]

Google is developing this platform to host petabytes of earth science data and to give researchers a straightforward way to use it. "They log on, access all the data, and run their own algorithms," explains David Thau, the senior developer advocate for Google Earth Engine. Thau and his colleagues work with scientists to develop useful analysis functions, and then they "get out of the way," he says, and let researchers conduct their investigations. Google Earth Engine is currently available to thousands of research partners, and the company plans a general release down the line.