Aidan Slingsby, Willis Research Fellow, City University
Jason Dykes, Willis Research Network Partner, City University
Jo Wood, Willis Research Network Partner, City University

This document provides a step-by step account of how to load one's own data into Google Earth for visual synthesis.

Google Earth's power lies in the visual synthesis offered, in which customised, built-in, third-party spatial datasets from multiple sources can be visually inspected and visually compared. This might include the model outputs or the results of analytical work done by another tool.

 

Data exploration and visual synthesis can help identify interesting patterns in data and between data that might assist in decision-making; for example, between hazard and exposure data. As a freely available and easy-to-use platform, it can also help communicate the rationale behind insurance decisions to different audiences.

This paper provides a beginners’ step-by step account of how to load one's own data into Google Earth for visual synthesis and provides inspiration for experimention and creativity with displaying one's own datasets.