3d travel earth

Explore Google Earth

Grab the helm and go on an adventure in Google Earth.

HD Satellite Map

NASA high-definition satellite images. Updated every day since the year 2000.

360° Panoramic Creations:

We create high-quality stabilized video having 8k and 4k resolution, 48 or 24 frames per second together with high-quality post-processing. Videos are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 8k.

360° PHOTOGRAPHY

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with 35000x17500 pixels resolution (in the equidistant projection) and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR).

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with the fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Ready 360° photo-panoramas cover up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the virtual tour.

360° GIGAPANORAMA

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with resolution from 1 to 3 gigapixel and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR).

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the ready virtual tour.

360° TIMELAPSE

We can make panoramic timelapses with the given viewing angle and resolution up to 12k with professional post-processing and without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle. 360° timelapses are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

360° timelapses are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the timelapses are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 12K.

Content sales:

VIRTUAL TOURS

On the basis of 360° panoramas we create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

Our clients receive a fully functional virtual tour developed in HTML5 and supported by any computer or mobile device (iOS, Android, Windows Phone).

360° Photo    Price List

STOCK PHOTOS

For almost 10 years of travelling around the world our team has gathered an extensive stock of pictures, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any picture presented at our stock can be licensed for any kind of possible use. We can also offer the photos of ultra-high quality (the longer side up to 103,000 pixels).

You can also take a look at the spherical panoramas published on the website www.airpano.ru . Any of the 360° panoramas represented on the website can be converted into a printed image of very high quality.

Photogallery    Price List

STOCK 360° VIDEOS

By filming 360° video since 2011, our team has gathered an extensive stock of clips, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any video presented on our website can be licensed for any kind of possible use.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate.

360° Video    Price List

APPLICATIONS

We are one of the software developers of applications based on 360° photos and videos. Currently, there are 7 applications in our portfolio. One of them was top-rated in 84 countries and listed among the best applications of the year 2014 according to App Store.

These applications can also be used for demonstration of panoramic content with the help of virtual reality devices, such as Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and analogues.

Exhibition installations:

EXHIBITION INSTALLATIONS

AirPano team has the experience of creating panoramic cinemas and video-walls, making it possible to demonstrate our panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. The size is only defined by the premises, the quality of projector and the dimensions of plasma screens. Such solutions usually make a deep impression on visitors.

The control is carried out by a tablet or Kinect devices.

TOUCH SCREENS

We are ready to create applications with panoramic content working on touch screens of any size. Both AirPano panoramas and the client’s material can be the basis for this kind of software.

We create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

VR HEADSETS

Our virtual tours and 360° videos are supported by all the types of virtual reality headsets (VR): Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Sony Morpheus and others.

We can also develop special software for operating on Samsung Gear VR, if required.

AirPano in cooperation with Polden Studio carries out the installation of the binocular usage of the client’s or our own content. With the help of binoculars, the client can present the panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. This kind of devices usually attract a lot of visitors and leave a deep impression on them.

3D Maps: A Complete Guide To See Earth in 3D

Today you’re going to see the best 3D maps in action.

These aren’t your traditional top-down satellite maps.

Instead, you can interactively fly around buildings and landscapes in three dimensions.

Let’s start exploring.

1. Google Earth

“Google Earth has 20+ zoom levels with the most basic as Landsat. It’s when you zoom into metropolitan regions that you see a mix of realistic 3D textured buildings, bridges, and even rollercoasters.”

Almost in a league of its own, Google Earth has mind-blowing detail in its 3D maps. The architecture in cityscapes shows bridges, towers, monuments, and even rollercoasters.

Yosemite is an example of the amount of detail that a photogrammetric mesh can capture. It has everything you’d expect to visit there like the towering granite monoliths, deep valleys, and ancient giant sequoias.

But how are 3D buildings and landscapes generated in Google Earth? It’s actually a combination of two types of 3D feature types:

• SKETCHUP 3D MODELS: In the past, most of Google Earth’s 3D models were created from SketchUp. Google bought the company some time ago. They started giving the software away free. But users can’t submit their 3D models to Google Earth anymore. The biggest downfall was that SketchUp was a manual process. Think about the time and effort it would take to create millions of high-rise buildings across the world. Enter automated stereophotogrammetry.
• AUTOMATED PHOTOGRAMMETRY: The only answer for Google Earth was to create automated 3D models with stereophotogrammetry. Google Earth doesn’t use satellite imagery for this process. Instead, it uses planes that zig-zag back and forth. When you have overlap, photogrammetry pulls all the photos together in a textured 3D mesh. It’s the side-angle cameras that paint the texture along the sides of mountains and building walls.

If you want more information, Google explains how they build their maps with such attention to detail.

READ MORE: Google Earth vs Google Maps: What’s the Difference?

2. OpenStreetMap (OSM-3D)

OpenStreetMap is a collection of individual accomplishments working toward a common vision – a free updated map for the community to build and explore.

The OSM community is famous for organizing “mapathons” . At these public gatherings, mappers from around the world trace areas out in different locales. This is why we see large pockets in specific areas.

For OpenStreetMap (OSM) 3D maps, it’s a bit scaled-down. The OSM community is enormously active. It has a big heart. But it doesn’t have the deep pockets for large photogrammetry projects. Some examples of its 3D maps are in OSMBuildings .

OSM BUILDINGS: There are countless web applications that incorporate OSM data. But OSMBuildings is one of the best for 3D exploration. For example, this is what 3D looks like in Manhattan, New York. But for other cities, you might find the bare minimum.

3. ArcGIS Earth

Esri’s ArcGIS Earth is a different flavor of 3D maps. You download it as an application on your desktop or phone. As you tilt your view, the terrain is completely in 3D.

But if you’re looking to see buildings, they’re not there in the start-up. You’ll have to see what’s available by searching on ArcGIS Online. 3D data exists from a variety of sources.

For example, the Golden Gate Bridge looks phenomenal. But there are also cases where buildings aren’t realistic like for the City of Berlin. It’s a decent alternative. Just be aware that it’s still a work in progress.

4. Apple Maps

You don’t feel as open in Apple Maps compared to the rest of the 3D maps. It’s because you won’t be able to find a website that has any of its 3D maps in it. So if you have friends with iOS, this is the only way to see it.

After you connect to Apple Maps in iOS , you can see an improving platform. All the time, money, and effort that Apple has poured into its mapping interface is starting to pay off.

One of the best features of Apple Maps is its flyover mode . A flyover is a way to get a virtual tour in the air of a city or place. Flyover modes give an immersive view as if you’re getting a virtual tour.

5. NASA World Wind

NASA World Wind is different from the other 3D maps in this list. It’s a software development kit (SDK) that has all the necessary tools for you to create and build your own customized mapping applications.

It’s completely free, open source, and cross-platform. The 3D virtual globe had a large collection of built-in imagery and terrain. It’s compatible with:

• COLLADA 3D models
• Keyhole markup language (KML)
• Web mapping services (WMS)

And just recently announced, the development will continue being supported into the coming years.

Summary: 3D Maps

3D data is exploding in usage. It’s not only 3D mapping platforms but 3D analysis is growing.

These were the top 3D maps that we thought were above and beyond.

To recap: If you want to see existing 3D views, then you should choose.

• Google Earth
• OpenStreetMap (OSM)

If you want to make 3D maps your own, check out:

• ArcGIS Earth
• NASA World Wind

What’s your favorite? What did we miss? Please let us know with a comment below.

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5 Best Free LiDAR Software Tools and Viewers

10 GPS Apps For Navigation [Android and iOS]

I want a 3 dimension plaster (maybe) model od my 50 area farm in North Carolina. it there a way? IF so, point me the direction

Under Google Earth above you mentioned legacy 3D models and the newer photogrammetry models. You did not point out that all of the legacy models still exist in Google Earth and can be displayed. Some display by default as they have not yet been superceded by photogrammetry versions. Examples include Machu Picchu in Peru and Martin Luther King memorial near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The rest can be displayed by changing a settings option in Google Earth as follows:

– Click Tools at top left – Click Options – Select the 3D View tab at the top left if not already selected – In the Terrain group 3/4 of the way down untick the “Use 3D imagery” box – Click OK – You naturally also have to tick the box next to 3D Buildings on the left under Layers after you exit from Tools.

Just be aware that you will sometimes have to wait for a while for the model to be displayed in full detail, especially on a slower PC. (The same is true with photogrammetry models). Sometimes the legacy models will also float above the terrain, if the Google terrain has been changed since they were created.

The legacy models are usually far more detailed and accurate than what is created via photogrammetry.

A good example is Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, which you show a picture of above. Viewed from a distance the photogrammetry version looks reasonable. Zoom in and it is basically a featureless blob. Compare that with the original manually created version (modelled by yours truly). The entire mountain is modelled in excrutiatingly accurate detail. You can even go inside the chapel in the base of the statue, where all of the furniture, light fittings etc. are modelled. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn5w40Ln9wg

A similar level of detail can be found in many other legacy models around the world, eg. Pompeii. Many of them can be downloaded from the Sketchup 3D Warehouse.

Another significant capability of Google Earth that none of the other platforms have is true 3D animation. To see what is possible check out the following YouTube videos of 3D Google Earth animations created with Sketchup and the KML markup language. You can run them yourself (or get ideas for creating your own). Just download the KMZ file from the 3D Warehouse via the second links given and double click on them to run them in Google Earth. Usually after you open them in Google Earth you will have to double click on a link at the left where indicated to start the animation and click on the little play triangle on the time slider that pops up. For the technically minded a KMZ file is simply a zip file. Just make a copy and rename it to end with .zip instead of .kmz. You can then open it and see its contents. There will usually be a file inside called doc.kml which contains the main animation code. Open it with Notepad.

Disneyland Monorail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmAZTp0SlJA https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/4fdeb016355f491948846c67671d9660/Disneyland-Monorail-Animated-Short https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/878c7c0d00936a6848846c67671d9660/Disneyland-Monorail-Animated

Disneyworld Monorail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-Kz6Vojbx0 https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/be132bf12b47244048846c67671d9660/Disney-World-Monorail-Animated

Costa Concordia Shipwreck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhwW6FlL9ow https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/57e14f9b30152cb51f2b60986ab4327c/Costa-Concordia-Disaster-Animation

Tenerife Airline Disaster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glZIggnP47Y https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/b95cbcb2a669fa2fa1ed68d685caf3ad/Tenerife-Airport-Disaster

Spanish Train Crash (short version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SzOneaSMF4 https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/449581d889e325c4dfd89dd71a555b12/Spain-Train-Crash-Animation

Spanish Train Crash (full version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM1oBDw08x4 https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/cf8544f0c3074395dfd89dd71a555b12/Spain-Train-Crash-Animation-Detailed

Ferris Wheel at Luna Park in Sydney, complete with animated shadows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnSTxGONuiE https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/e444bb6f2114aae448846c67671d9660/Luna-Park-Ferris-Wheel-Animated

Very nice. Thank you. This is a great. I wish there was more like this on the web.

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Age of Humans

A Smithsonian magazine special report

Travel Through Deep Time With This Interactive Earth

Explore key moments in Earth’s transformative history as continents drift and climate fluctuates over 4.6 billion years

Victoria Jaggard; Interactive by International Mapping; Paleogeographic maps by Ron Blakey

Earth is a planet defined by change, swinging through periods of intense heat and deep freeze even as oceans and continents are reshaped by the actions of plate tectonics . This constant reconfiguration has been a huge driver in the development of life on Earth. But scientists agree that human activity has now begun to influence the planet, changing the climate and drastically altering surface conditions.

Understanding how humans are affecting Earth’s system requires a better grasp on the natural cycles and events that have shaped our planet through deep time . Slide through the timeline above to explore how the globe has changed over seven major “snapshots” in our climate history, and to see how it might look in the far future.

Alex Tait is Vice President of International Mapping in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Tim Montenyohl is a 3-D Artist and Animator at International Mapping.

Ron Blakey is professor emeritus of geology at Northern Arizona University and founder of Colorado Plateau Geosystems Inc .

Get the latest Science stories in your inbox.

Globe 3D - Planet Earth & World Atlas

Explore the interactive model of our planet, earth, now on your windowsos with the globe 3d app - details about the selected locations. - an excellent resource for educators to visualise earth with students. - an essential tool for those who love exploring the world. features include: • distinct 3d model of earth • user-friendly navigation menu • over 100 geographic objects • political globe featuring all countries and capitals • realistic day/night mode • zoom in for detailed study • lists of the most fascinating places worldwide • quick access to information • no need for an internet connection experience the initial 5 panorama views, 5 minutes of thorough globe exploration, and entry to various intriguing locations in the free version. unlock the subscription version for unrestricted access to all worldwide cameras, geographical objects, and panoramas without any limitations. before you subscribe please read our terms of use and privacy policy. terms of use: https://interactivemotion.live/tos privacy policy: https://interactivemotion.live/privacy , 11/27/2020 8:39:09 am.

3D maps for your website & apps

Our 3D maps of the world let you explore the planet in rich detail.

3D world maps with buildings and terrain

Global 3D terrain ready to use with any of our map styles 3D buildings aid with navigation in built up areas Easy to code with JavaScript examples

World map for mobility, transit and navigation

The perfect map for outdoor activities

Up-to-date imagery for the whole world

Build your own 3D world map

Create a realistic 3D map of the world with the satellite layer from MapTiler Cloud.

Include roads and placenames for context by using the hybrid layer.

Navigation with 3D Maps

Build an immersive experience with 3D buildings to help your users navigate the city and find their destination.

Use MapTiler Streets which contains building height data.

Maps with 3D for adventure

Show the terrain in 3D to give your users the best experience when hiking, biking, or skiing.

Use MapTiler’s Outdoor and Winter maps which include details of hiking trails and ski slopes.

Available as:

Vector tiles.

MapTiler SDK , native MVT clients

Raster tiles

Leaflet , OpenLayers , XYZ

Map services

WMTS for QGIS or ArcGIS

Static maps

Image for thumbnails

Other map styles

Start using 3D via Maps API

const map = new maptilersdk.Map({ terrain: true });

Welcome to ViewSpace

Hero interactive.

Explore the Universe with Interactives and Videos

About ViewSpace

What is viewspace.

ViewSpace is a free, web-based collection of digital interactives and videos highlighting the latest developments in astronomy and Earth science.

ViewSpace gives you the opportunity to explore our planet, solar system, galaxy, and universe. Provided free with the support of NASA, ViewSpace is developed by a team of scientists, educators, and communication specialists who collaborate to ensure that content is accurate, up-to-date, engaging, relevant, and accessible to a wide audience.

Interactives

ViewSpace interactives allow you to explore objects and materials from different perspectives, discovering how we can combine information to better understand the universe.

Different forms of light: Explore visible and invisible wavelengths of light that help us understand features like the dusty brim of the Sombrero Galaxy roughly 30 million light-years away.

Hidden objects: Unveil invisible light to reveal hidden objects like the stars forming inside Mystic Mountain, a pillar of gas and dust 7,500 light-years from Earth.

ViewSpace videos tell the stories of the planets, stars, galaxies, and universe, giving viewers the opportunity to experience space and Earth as seen with satellites and telescopes.

Astronomy: Explore the sky with stories told through spectacular imagery from space telescopes.

Earth science: Gain new perspectives on our home planet based on data gathered by Earth-orbiting satellites.

ViewSpace is produced by the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute , in partnership with the NASA's Universe of Learning project and NASA's Earth Observing System, Hubble Space Telescope Project, and James Webb Space Telescope Project.

ViewSpace has been exhibited in museums, planetariums, and science centers across the country since 2000.

What Will You Explore?

The Latest Discoveries in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Recent Natural Events and Satellite Views of Earth

In-depth Stories of How Science and the Universe Work

Stunning Imagery and Accessible Explanations

Sample Images from ViewSpace

What objects and materials make up the universe, and how do we study the invisible as well as the visible?

Data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory are used to create a map of dark matter (blue) in galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745.

What are galaxies; how do they vary; and how do they form, interact, and change over time?

The Penguin and the Egg (Arp 142) is a pair of galaxies that are being distorted by their mutual gravitational attraction.

How do the Sun, planets, moons, comets, and asteroids interact as a system?

Saturn’s moon Titan casts a shadow as it passes between the planet and the Sun.

How do telescopes help us better understand the objects and materials that light up the sky?

With telescopes, we can see details of the Milky Way, including glowing clouds of dust and gas like the Lobster Nebula.

How fast is the universe expanding and what does this tell us about its past and future?

Over time, space expands, stretching the wavelenghts of light and causing the distant galaxies seen in the Ultra Deep Field image from the Hubble Space Telescope to look redder than the closer galaxies.

How do we detect and study planets orbiting other stars?

Changes in the brightness of starlight, measured by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, indicates the presence of a planet orbiting the star.

What happens to stars at the end of their lives, and how do stellar explosions affect the space around them?

Visible, infrared, and X-ray light from supernova remnant Cassiopeia A reveal remains of an exploded star.

How can we use interactions between light and matter to probe the deep universe?

The enormous mass of galaxy cluster Abell 370 bends the space around it, magnifying and distorting the light from more distant galaxies into arc-like streaks.

How are astronomers combining data from space and ground-based telescopes, particle detectors, and gravitational wave detectors to understand cosmic objects, processes, and events?

An artist’s illustration depicts the detection of neutrino particles and gamma rays emitted by a supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy.

How and where do stars form, and how do they shape their surroundings?

Pillars of gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula are sculpted and illuminated by stellar winds and high-energy radiation of bright stars.

How can we use satellites to map, study, and monitor Earth’s land surface, oceans, and atmosphere?

An image captured by the Landsat 8 satellite in May 2018 shows active lava flows from Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.

What evidence supports our theories of how the universe formed and how it has evolved over time?

A map of the sky from the Planck Space Telescope highlights variations in the cosmic microwave background radiation—energy left over from the big bang some 13.8 billion years ago.

What tools and methods do scientists use to study Earth and space?

NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite (SMAP) helps scientists monitor droughts, predict floods, and improve farm productivity.

Is Earth unique? Are we alone?

Observations from space telescopes have revealed thousands of exoplanets of different of sizes, compositions, temperatures, and atmospheres, including seven rocky Earth-sized planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system, 40 light-years from Earth (artist’s illustration).

Where Is ViewSpace?

ViewSpace videos are on exhibit at museums, science centers, and planetariums across the country.

ViewSpace interactives are available online.

Use the map to find a ViewSpace video location near you.

Location Spotlight

Worcester, Massachusetts

Westcave Preserve

Round Mountain, Texas

Lowell Observatory

Flagstaff, Arizona

Maryland Science Center

Baltimore, Maryland

Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University

Glassboro, New Jersey

Clark Planetarium

Salt Lake City, Utah

Becoming a ViewSpace Venue

ViewSpace provides informal learning sites with engaging, accurate, relevant, and up-to-date astronomy and Earth science content. Access to ViewSpace is free, requiring only registration, a computer or Smart TV, and persistent internet access. ViewSpace content is self-updating and videos can be set to play automatically, requiring minimal staff effort to maintain.

Join hundreds of others in featuring ViewSpace as part of your exhibits.

Who Produces and Supports ViewSpace?

ViewSpace is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, and is provided free of charge through financial support and subject matter expertise from the NASA’s Universe of Learning project, NASA’s Earth Observing System Project Science Office, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Project, and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Project.

Funded by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, NASA’s Universe of Learning is an integrated astrophysics STEM learning and literacy project developed through a partnership between the Space Telescope Science Institute, Caltech/IPAC, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and Sonoma State University.

NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS) is a coordinated series of satellites designed to observe Earth’s land, atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere. As part of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, the EOS Project Science Office (EOSPSO) is committed to sharing information with both researchers and the general public.

The Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope are two of NASA’s flagship missions designed to explore and advance our understanding of the universe. The missions’ communications programs are dedicated to sharing scientific advances and making the world’s astronomical information accessible to all.

We’ve added imagery from 2021-2022 to Timelapse. Head to Google Earth to explore more

Earth 3D Model

A 3D model of Earth, our home planet.

glTF File (3D Model)

Sep 9, 2023

glb?emrc=661324b9032a8 (12.32 MB)

USDZ File (3D Model)

usdz (692.51 KB)

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What to Know When You’ve Felt an Earthquake

And what else to be aware of when the Earth moves.

• Share full article

By Camille Baker

If you just felt the ground shaking, you might be wondering what happened or how to react the next time an earthquake strikes. Here are the answers to some common questions about earthquakes.

What causes them?

To understand earthquakes, imagine the Earth as an egg, said Mark Benthien, the communications director for the Statewide California Earthquake Center, a research organization.

The egg’s shell represents the Earth’s crust, and “if you look at it from a worldwide view, there are 12 or so major egg pieces of the crust that are called plates,” Mr. Benthien said. Pieces of the egg’s shell — tectonic plates — move around slowly, about as quickly as your fingernails grow, building up pressure between them.

Most earthquakes occur when the force of the moving tectonic plates exceeds the friction between them. When this happens, the pressure releases suddenly and plates move into, past or away from one another. The pressure is released as seismic waves that pass through the earth, causing the ground to shake.

In rare cases, an earthquake can also occur in the interior of a tectonic plate.

Earthquakes can also be caused by human action , such as the disposal of waste fluids as part of the process of oil production.

Can earthquakes be predicted?

No. It is not possible to predict where or when an earthquake might happen.

However, national seismic hazard maps from the U.S. Geological Survey describe how many strong earthquakes are likely to happen in the next 10,000 years in the United States. More earthquakes with damaging shaking are likely to occur along the West Coast, along Alaska’s south coast and in parts of Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Globally, earthquakes are most likely near the “Ring of Fire,” which spans the Pacific Ocean at the edges of tectonic plates.

You can prepare ahead of time.

Should people worry about earthquakes before they happen? “It’s not that they should be worried, but they should act,” said Mr. Benthien, who leads the Earthquake Country Alliance, an earthquake coordination organization.

The group suggests securing items in your home ahead of time. Fasten down bookcases and other furniture, as well as your television and even your hot water heater. “As our buildings are built better and better, these aspects are really the cause of the most injuries — not the buildings collapsing, but just all this stuff flying around,” Mr. Benthien said.

You should also prepare at least one kit of supplies to use in the aftermath of an earthquake. Among other things, your emergency kit should include a fire extinguisher, extra doses of medications you may be taking, first-aid supplies, food and water, according to the U.S.G.S .

Earthquake early warning systems such as ShakeAlert can also sometimes provide precious seconds of advance warning before shaking strikes your area, said Robert-Michael de Groot, a coordinator for the program, which is run by the U.S.G.S. This gives you more time to react and avoid injury. “ShakeAlert asks you to do what you already do, but do it sooner,” he said. (Here’s how to sign up for U.S.G.S. early warning systems.)

What should I do if an earthquake happens?

The next time you feel the ground shaking, follow these three steps : Drop to the ground, cover your body to prevent injuries — by crawling under a table, for example — and hold on, according to the Earthquake Country Alliance. If you use a wheelchair or walker, remain seated, bend over and cover your head and neck.

Experts used to advise people to stand under a doorway during an earthquake, but they don’t do that anymore, Dr. de Groot said. “There was a time when the doorway was structurally more stable, stronger than the rest of other parts of the house,” he said. “That really isn’t the case anymore.”

No matter where you are when an earthquake strikes, Dr. de Groot said, stay alert and take protective measures. “If you’re driving on the highway at 70 miles an hour, you may not be able to drop, cover and hold on,” he said. “But there’s an idea about having that situational awareness and knowing how to protect yourself no matter where you are.”

“So staying in your place, dropping, is actually the most important part,” he said, advising people to stay low on the ground, and find a way to protect themselves, wherever they are.

Camille Baker is a news assistant working for The Times’s Data team, which analyzes important data related to weather and elections. More about Camille Baker

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New 3D cosmic map raises questions over future of universe, scientists say

Researchers say findings from map with three times more galaxies than previous efforts could challenge standard idea of dark energy

The biggest ever 3D map of the universe, featuring more than 6m galaxies, has been revealed by scientists who said it raised questions about the nature of dark energy and the future of the universe.

The map is based on data collected by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (Desi) in Arizona and contains three times as many galaxies as previous efforts, with many having their distances measured for the first time.

Researchers said that by using this map, they have been able measure how fast the universe has been expanding at different times in the past with unprecedented accuracy.

The results confirm that the expansion of the universe is speeding up, they added. However, the findings have also raised the tantalising possibility that dark energy – a mysterious, repulsive force that drives the process – is not constant throughout time as has previously been suggested.

Dr Seshadri Nadathur, a co-author of the work and senior research fellow at the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, said: “What we are seeing are some hints that it has actually been changing over time, which is quite exciting because it is not what the standard model of a cosmological constant dark energy would look like.”

Prof Carlos Frenk, from Durham University and a co-author of the research, said that if dark energy was indeed constant in time, the future of the universe was simple: it would expand on and on, for ever. But if the hints found in the map stood up, that would be called into question.

“Now all of that goes out the window and essentially we have to start from scratch, and that means revising our understanding of basic physics, our understanding of the big bang itself, and our understanding of the long-range forecast for the universe,” he said, adding that the new hints left open the possibility that the universe might undergo a “big crunch”.

The research, which has been published in a series of preprints – meaning it has yet to be peer-reviewed – reveals how the team first created the 3D map, then measured patterns in the distribution of galaxies that relate to sound waves that occurred in the early universe, known as baryon acoustic oscillations.

As the size of these patterns is known to be regular, the team was able to calibrate the distances to different galaxies in the map, allowing them to work out how fast the universe has been growing over the last 11bn years, with a precision better than 0.5% over all times, and better than 1% between 8bn and 11bn years ago.

Frenk said the precision itself of the measurements was notable given that galaxies could be billions of light years away, and billions of years old. “It’s mind-boggling that we can measure anything to a precision of 1%, which is precision you get in the laboratory in physics for high-precision measurements,” he said.

Andrew Pontzen, professor of cosmology at University College London and author of the book The Universe in a Box, who was not involved in the work, said Desi was one of a slew of exciting new astronomical surveys cataloguing the night sky, with one of the primary goals being to measure the rate at which our expanding universe has speeded up.

“Like measuring the acceleration of a car, charting the universe’s expansion tells us about the ‘engine’ powering cosmic acceleration. That engine is known as dark energy,” he said.

However, Pontzen noted that our knowledge of how dark energy operates was limited. “The new data, when combined with existing measurements, would seem to contradict the simplest possible explanations for dark energy,” he said.

“At face value, that’s an exciting step forward. But as the team themselves caution, there is a huge amount still to understand about this data and early results should be taken with a healthy grain of salt.”

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Earthquake snarls air and train travel in the New York City area

By Megan Cerullo

Edited By Aimee Picchi

Updated on: April 5, 2024 / 4:36 PM EDT / CBS News

An  earthquake  centered in New Jersey and felt across the New York City region on Friday disrupted air and rail travel, with ground stoppages at airports in the New York City area and delays in train service. 

Travel operations were momentarily halted Friday morning with ground stoppages at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens and at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, with crews working to resume normal air traffic operations. By early afternoon, the ground stoppage at JFK had been lifted. 

Arriving and departing flights in Newark also resumed in the afternoon, but delays averaged roughly two hours,  according  to the Federal Aviation Administration. 

The earthquake, which occurred roughly 10:20 a.m. Eastern time, had either a 4.7 or 4.8 magnitude and was centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, 40 miles west of New York City,  according to the United States Geological Survey.

Newark airport is experiencing average departure delays of 43 minutes, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Inbound aircraft that are already airborne are delayed by about an hour. Inbound flights that have not yet taken off are being held until 12:30 p.m., according to the site.  

Flights in and out of LaGuardia airport in Queens were also delayed, likely in order for airport staff to check for damage to the airport and runways and clear away any debris. 

The ground stoppages and delays are not expected to last long. 

Additionally, New Jersey Transit said it's experiencing up to 20-minute delays across its entire rail service system, in both directions. NJ Transit said it's inspecting a bridge for damage to ensure train travel is safe. 

—CBS News' Kris Van Cleave contributed reporting.

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News Streaming to discuss her reporting.

More from CBS News

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Earthquakes, aftershocks rattle NYC and beyond: "One of the largest" East Coast quakes in the last century

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NYC, New Jersey earthquake witnesses share first-hand accounts

New York earthquake brings travel to a halt as airports and tunnels temporarily hit pause

• The Federal Aviation Authority issued ground stops at JFK and EWR following an earthquake. 
• The Holland Tunnel, NJ Transit, and New York City subways also experienced delays.
• The disruptions follow a rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake in the tristate area on Friday morning.

Travel for this weekend's Solar Eclipse is in full swing nationwide, but an unexpected earthquake Friday morning caused airline and tunnel disruptions all across New York and the tri-state area.

The United States Geological Survey estimated the earthquake fell under a 4.8 magnitude, which is the largest in about 250 years. The epicenter was 30 miles west of Newark, New Jersey.

The Federal Aviation Authority issued ground stops at JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport. Additionally, flights that were supposed to land in Newark were held as workers inspected the runaway for damage.

Related stories

The ground stop at John F. Kennedy International Airport ended by 11:30 a.m, according to Flightradar24. The ground stop at Newark was issued at 11:05 a.m. and ended close to 12:30 p.m., according to live updates on the FAA website.

Departures to Newark are delayed 77 minutes and arrivals are delayed about 45 minutes, according to the FAA.

"A 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New Jersey may impact some air traffic facilities in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Baltimore," FAA spokesperson Crystal Essiaw said. "Air traffic operations are resuming as quickly as possible."

The earthquake is also impacting drivers in the city. The Holland Tunnel closed temporarily for an inspection following the earthquake. NJ Transit posted on X at 11 a.m. that the rail service was delayed up to 20 minutes due to "bridge inspections following an earlier earthquake."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X, formerly Twitter, that her office is assessing "impacts and any damage that may have occurred."

The office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams also posted on X that they were assessing the damage but "do not have any reports of major impacts at this time."

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority posted delays with the 4, 5, A, C, E, and L trains. Although, it did not specify if the delays were related to the earthquake.

Watch: VIDEO: Passengers shot in moving subway train in New York City

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A trip to the last Blockbuster on Earth

Visiting the bend, ore., store is like stepping back in time.

BEND, Ore. — My family used to go to Blockbuster every Friday. Walking to the store on 19th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan, we’d wander through the aisles of DVDs, negotiating what to rent for our weekly ritual of making pizzas and watching movies, and I’d try to sweet-talk my way into a Nerds Rope or a box of watermelon Sour Patch Kids.

We cycled through countless discs before my parents signed up for Netflix’s DVD service. Our local store closed in 2010 — the year Blockbuster corporate filed for bankruptcy protection — and less than a decade later, almost all of Blockbuster’s 9,000 stores had followed suit.

These days, there’s only one Blockbuster left on Earth . It’s in Bend, Ore., about 820 miles from my home in Los Angeles.

But I’ve traveled farther for stupider reasons.

So I took a trip to Bend with my partner, Reanna (who loves DVDs even more than I do). Our journey there involved an extensive delay that stretched into 13 hours of travel — via cab, bus, plane and rental car — but it all felt worth it when we caught a glimpse of the glowing yellow Blockbuster sign in the distance.

‘A huge movie town’

Most of the tourism in Bend revolves around the city’s outdoor wonders, attracting people who love hiking, skiing, canoeing and exploring the local terrain.

But the city has always been filled with movie lovers, according to Ken Tisher, who owns the Blockbuster on Revere Avenue with his wife, Debbie.

“For those who don’t know, Bend is a huge movie town,” Ken said in the 2020 documentary “ The Last Blockbuster .”

The Tishers opened their first video rental store as Pacific Video in the early 1990s. With business booming, they launched two more locations, but when Blockbuster moved into town they had one option for survival: They made the store on Revere Ave into a Blockbuster franchise in 2000.

As a chain, Blockbuster peaked in 2004, when there were 9,000 locations worldwide. The company has shut down thousands of locations over the years, making the Bend Blockbuster the last Blockbuster in the United States in 2018 (after two stores in Alaska closed), and the only one in the world by April 2019 (after the second-to-last Blockbuster in a suburb of Perth, Australia, shut down).

Sandi Harding, the general manager of the Bend Blockbuster, has been working there since 2004. She watched the franchise’s decline from the front lines, giving countless interviews and figuring out how to keep the store stocked and relevant.

Since there’s no corporate supplier left, Harding buys candy and snacks in bulk from Costco and has figured out how to print and laminate new membership cards. Most of the DVD vendors that they have worked with have closed over the years, and the ones that are still open have minimum orders that are far too big for her store.

“I can’t afford to purchase movies through them, so I’m back to buying 100 percent of everything at Walmart and Target,” Harding told me.

The staff’s DIY efforts pay off: Harding estimates that they still get 500 to 1,000 customers over the course of a weekend.

“It’s all tourism driven now, where before it was all rental driven,” Harding said. “So it’s totally a different experience.”

The last on Earth

We made it to Bend a little before 7:30 p.m., exhausted but relieved that we didn’t miss our chance to indulge in some retro movie magic. It was a sleepy Sunday evening, so the store was nearly empty.

“The winter months used to be our bread and butter, like, that’s when we were the busiest: when people couldn’t go outside or travel,” Harding said. “Now it’s the opposite, the winter is quiet. So this time of year we get lots of projects done. We all take vacations, and we do things, because the summer is when we’re just crazy busy.”

Most of the store is straight out of the early 2000s: The walls are lined with DVDs and VHS tapes to purchase or rent; the location’s original triangular checkout counter has endured the test of time; and the staffers still wear blue and yellow shirts (though they’re not forced to don the retro polos ).

“The ticket tee that we have out there is the T-shirt we’ve always had here at the store for our employees,” Harding said, referring to the ticket stub design on the shirts that her employees wear. “But on the back of it used to say ‘your ticket to the movies,’ and then it went to ‘last one in America,’ and now it’s ‘last one on the planet.’”

The rentals are still reasonably priced: New releases cost $3.99 and older DVDs are just 99 cents. And these days, nobody complains about late fees.

“Now everybody is like, ‘Aw man, we miss it,’ which is always funny,” Harding said. “You’d be surprised how many people insist on paying their late fees now to support the store.”

Unsurprisingly, rentals and late fees aren’t enough to keep the store afloat. Harding estimates that 80 percent of its business comes from selling merchandise, including T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, postcards, keychains and popcorn-scented candles.

Most of that merch is made by local artisans, since Harding wants to support her fellow Oregonians.

“We’re proud of the fact that we’re able to source as much as we can here in town,” she said. “If we can’t have them made in Bend, we buy them through another small business.”

“People come in and see [the merch] and then I remember why we’ve got it, because people smell the candle or they see the T-shirt and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this so brings me back,’” she added.

A blast from the past

As I browsed the aisles of Blockbuster, it felt like I stepped into a memory. The space was still warm and comforting, the snack and drink options were abundant, and the staff clearly had great taste.

There are a few things in the store that bring visitors back to 2024: Some of Russell Crowe’s costumes — passed along from the closed Anchorage store — sit next to a wall of Blockbuster memorabilia and letters that have been sent to the store. A modest living room occupies one corner, reminiscent of the Airbnb experience the store offered in 2020. The checkout counter also has a guest book, so visitors can sign their names and leave sentimental notes.

“I opened up an account the other day for somebody from Seattle, and she was like, ‘We’re on our way home, but we had to stop and rent a movie. I’m going to mail it back to you.’” — Sandi Harding, general manager of the Bend Blockbuster

“We have almost 30 of those little guest books signed,” Harding said. “I’m actually looking forward to the day when I can sit down and just go through them all.”

The store has welcomed visitors from all six habitable continents, and Harding can rattle off plenty of states and countries that people have traveled from. She tries to be as accommodating as possible for those who are passing through town and want the full rental experience.

“I opened up an account the other day for somebody from Seattle, and she was like, ‘We’re on our way home, but we had to stop and rent a movie. I’m going to mail it back to you,’” Harding said. “Sometimes people just do it and walk around outside and put it back in the drop box, just because they want to have that experience of renting the movie and returning it.”

Reanna and I had one night in Bend at an Airbnb with a DVD player , so we took our time perusing the shelves. Instead of doom scrolling through a streaming app on my TV, or trusting an algorithm to pick something out, I looked at a wall of the staff’s Valentine’s Day picks, feeling a kinship with Santana, who recommended the 2018 remake of “A Star is Born,” and Aidan, whose picks included “Moonlight” and “Knocked Up.”

That sense of connection is really what we’re looking for when we visit an old school video store.

“Video stores and movie theaters have always kind of felt like my church,” Jared Rasic, a local critic, said in “The Last Blockbuster” documentary. “They’ve always felt like the place where I go to feel the most like the calm, normal human being that I’ve always wanted to be.”

Reanna and I eventually settled on renting “Gentlemen Broncos,” a sci-fi comedy directed by the man who made “Napoleon Dynamite,” and “Vanilla Sky,” a thriller starring Tom Cruise. After grabbing some merch, a locally brewed Blockbuster beer and a respectable assortment of candy and microwave popcorn, we were ready to check out.

We also got two membership cards along with our wares; small yellow and blue reminders that sit in our wallets and remind us that we might get the chance to go back one day.

Julia Carmel is a Los Angeles-based writer. You can follow them on X: @julcarm .

A photo caption incorrectly said a visitor was from Cambi, Ore. They are from Canby, Ore. This article has been corrected.

Where to go

Our favorite destinations: These 12 destinations are at the top of our wish list for where to go this year, without crowds. In 2023, we explored an Alaskan bear paradise, Brooklyn’s famous pizzerias and a hidden gem in Italy, among other highlights ..

Travel like a local: Residents share their favorite places in our top city guides: New Orleans , Rome , Tokyo and Mexico City .

National parks: This comprehensive guide has details on all 63 U.S. national parks. For a deep dive into five of the most well-known, you can listen to the Field Trip podcast . Then explore tips from locals for visiting Yosemite , Glacier and Everglades .

Tales from the road: Dolly Parton has opened a new resort at her theme park complex in Tennessee, while “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have a new hotel in Waco . Road-trippers may be just as excited to see the cartoon beaver at Buc-ee’s , and bargain-hunters should consider a stop at the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro, Ala.

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2024 eclipse one of many reasons flat Earth claims are nonsense | Fact check roundup

Tens of millions of Americans will watch as the moon passes between the sun and the Earth on April 8, completely blocking out daylight for minutes for those in the path of totality . The celestial show has launched a frenzy of paper glasses purchases and hotel reservations , and it serves as a perfect case-in-point for how scientists know the Earth, moon and sun move through space.

But it hasn't stopped some skeptics from continuing to believe the Earth is flat, a conspiracy theory experts say dangerously feeds into paranoia and spurs an unhealthy skepticism of all science and credible authorities.

The USA TODAY Fact-Check Team has debunked an array of flat Earth-related claims, including that Antarctica is really an ice wall around a flat Earth and the related conspiracy theory that space – and space travel – isn't real.

More: Surreal April 2024 total solar eclipse renews debunked flat Earth conspiracy theories

More : The 2024 total solar eclipse is in less than a week: How to get glasses; cloud forecast

The claim: NASA admits the Earth is flat and non-rotating

Our rating: False

NASA has consistently said the Earth is a round, rotating globe, and the documents referenced don't prove otherwise. The "flat, non-rotating earth" model is a common technique used to generalize mathematic equations, experts said.  Read more

More from the Fact-Check Team:  How we pick and research claims |  Email newsletter  |  Facebook page

The claim: Antarctica is an ice wall that surrounds the flat Earth

Antarctica is a continent in the Southern Hemisphere. Satellite data from NASA and independent companies shows the land mass as an island with a definitive end. Read more

The claim: Pictures show the Earth is flat, and sea levels haven’t changed

Scientists have ample evidence the Earth is curved, including images of the planet taken from outer space. And long-term tide gauge data shows that sea levels have risen in Sydney Harbor over the past century and continue to rise. Read more

The claim: Moon visible in the daytime proves Earth is flat

The Earth is not flat, it's spherical, as proven by photos from space and an array of observations and calculations that can be done from Earth. Planetary scientists say the visibility of the moon and sun during the daytime doesn't prove a flat Earth – it is in fact a reflection of the motion of the sun, moon and Earth in space, along with the Earth's rotation. The moon also does not emit its own light.  Read more

The claim: Radar technology wouldn’t work if the Earth was a globe

Scientists say that radar technologies account for the Earth’s curvature. Furthermore, the curvature of the Earth plays into some of the limitations of radar technology. An abundance of evidence demonstrates the Earth is spherical in shape – including images of the planet taken from outer space. Read more

The claim: Celestial navigation would be impossible if Earth is globe-shaped and orbits the sun

Celestial navigation is a technique still used to determine location based on the positions of celestial objects. Because the Earth and other celestial bodies are in motion, the apparent position of stars, planets and the sun in the sky changes. These changes must be taken into account for successful celestial navigation. Read more

The claim: Operation Highjump was a mission to find out what was beyond the 'ice wall' of Antarctica

Historical records show Operation Highjump was a naval operation conducted to establish a base in Antarctica. There is no evidence it was sent to investigate an "ice wall." There’s overwhelming evidence that Antarctica is a continent, not an ice wall. Read more

The claim: Post implies moon missions impossible because of Earth's atmospheric temperatures

Our rating: Missing context

The implied claim is wrong. Thermospheric temperatures do not melt spacecraft. While this layer of the atmosphere does technically reach the temperatures stated in the post, there are not enough air molecules in the thermosphere to transfer significant amounts of this heat to an object, according to researchers. Read more

The claim: Post implies Apollo missions didn't happen because lunar module can't travel between Earth and the moon

The implied claim is wrong. The Apollo 11 lunar module traveled through space after being propelled toward the moon by a powerful rocket. Astronauts made the journey in a different, attached module − called the command module. Astronauts only used the lunar module for transport between the moon and the orbiting command module. Read more

The claim: Post implies NASA space shuttle can't travel faster than jet due to its design

The implied claim is wrong. The NASA space shuttle travels much faster at top speeds than the SR-71. The space shuttle is launched with the aid of huge rocket boosters not shown in the photo and only reaches top speeds at elevations where there is virtually no air resistance. The SR-71 jet moves more slowly because it must reach its top speeds under its own power and against the friction of Earth's atmosphere. Read more

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