LandTrace · Nano Empire AI

What the satellites saw, year by year.

For many rural parcels, the last clear photo on a map service is years old, and sellers don't disclose what changed since. A LandTrace report reads Google's annual AlphaEarth satellite embeddings for one parcel and narrates how the land physically changed, 2017–2025, with every major change tied to a public record you can check yourself.

These are real reports, not mockups. The three examples below were produced end-to-end by the LandTrace pipeline (AlphaEarth satellite embeddings → change math → AI narrative) for three example parcels: one with a documented disaster, one deliberately quiet control, and one with persistent construction. Every number, verdict, timeline, and caveat is copied verbatim from the pipeline's own output.

A parcel with a documented disaster history

Paradise, Butte County, California

~51.41 hectares (approximate, satellite-derived) · analysis window 2017–2025

Significant change

This 51-hectare parcel in Butte County experienced multiple major changes between 2017 and 2025, with the most significant change occurring from 2018 to 2019. A verified wildfire (the 2018 Camp Fire) intersects this parcel, which likely caused the major change observed in the 2018-2019 period. The parcel has been relatively stable in 2021-2022 and 2023-2024, but shows renewed major change in 2024-2025.

Year-by-year timeline

PeriodChangeWhat the satellite record shows
2017-2018majorMajor change detected (magnitude 0.081). This could be consistent with clearing, construction, fire, or other disturbance. How to verify this yourself: Check county assessor records for any permits or property transactions in 2018, or review historical aerial imagery for the area.
2018-2019majorThe largest change in the record (magnitude 0.188). This aligns with the 2018 Camp Fire, whose mapped perimeter intersects this parcel (source: NIFC InterAgency Fire Perimeter History, fire_year 2018). The fire likely caused significant vegetation loss or land cover change. How to verify this yourself: Consult the NIFC or CAL FIRE incident record for the 2018 Camp Fire and compare with pre- and post-fire aerial imagery.
2019-2020majorMajor change (magnitude 0.127), likely reflecting continued post-fire effects such as vegetation recovery, erosion, or debris removal. How to verify this yourself: Review historical satellite or aerial imagery from 2019 to 2020 to observe land cover changes.
2020-2021majorMajor change (magnitude 0.050), above the noise floor, indicating ongoing disturbance or recovery. How to verify this yourself: Check county building permit records for any reconstruction or development activity in 2020-2021.
2021-2022stableStable period (magnitude 0.024, below noise floor). No significant change detected.
2022-2023majorMajor change (magnitude 0.073), possibly due to new disturbance or land management. How to verify this yourself: Examine county assessor records for any land use changes or permits in 2022-2023.
2023-2024stableStable period (magnitude 0.037, below noise floor). No significant change detected.
2024-2025majorMajor change (magnitude 0.055), indicating recent disturbance. How to verify this yourself: Check for any new fire incidents or development permits in Butte County for 2024-2025.
VerdictSignificant change
Confidence0.85
Noise floor0.0382
Major-change threshold0.045

1 mapped fire perimeter intersects this parcel: CAMP (2018) (source: NIFC) · 19 county-level FEMA declaration(s) as regional context only

What this can & can't tell you

  • Area (51.41 hectares) is approximate, derived from 10 m satellite pixels, not a surveyed legal area.
  • Data is annual (snapshot per year), not continuous; exact timing of changes within a year cannot be determined.
  • 10 m resolution may miss small-scale changes (e.g., isolated dumping or small structures).
  • Change signals indicate physical land cover change but do not identify the cause; the Camp Fire is a verified cause for 2018-2019, but other changes may have multiple possible explanations.
  • FEMA declarations listed are county-level context only and do not confirm any event on this specific parcel.

The AlphaEarth Foundations Satellite Embedding dataset is produced by Google and Google DeepMind.

This report is an AI-generated interpretation of satellite-derived data. It is not a survey, appraisal, environmental assessment, or legal document, and should not be the sole basis for any purchase or land-management decision.

A genuinely quiet parcel — the control

Rural parcel, Herkimer County, New York

~52.0 hectares (approximate, satellite-derived) · analysis window 2017–2025

Stable

This 52-hectare parcel has been remarkably stable from 2017 to 2025, with all year-to-year change magnitudes below the noise floor. No major or moderate changes were detected, and no wildfire perimeters intersect this parcel. The land cover appears to have remained consistent throughout the study period.

Year-by-year timeline

PeriodChangeWhat the satellite record shows
2017-2018stableChange magnitude of 0.0196 is below the noise floor of 0.0382, indicating no significant land cover change.
2018-2019stableChange magnitude of 0.0110 is below the noise floor, indicating stable conditions.
2019-2020stableChange magnitude of 0.0130 is below the noise floor, indicating stable conditions.
2020-2021stableChange magnitude of 0.0194 is below the noise floor, indicating stable conditions.
2021-2022stableChange magnitude of 0.0255 is below the noise floor, indicating stable conditions.
2022-2023stableChange magnitude of 0.0116 is below the noise floor, indicating stable conditions.
2023-2024stableChange magnitude of 0.0154 is below the noise floor, indicating stable conditions.
2024-2025stableChange magnitude of 0.0151 is below the noise floor, indicating stable conditions.
VerdictStable
Confidence0.95
Noise floor0.0382
Major-change threshold0.045

No mapped wildfire perimeter intersects this parcel · 2 county-level FEMA declaration(s) as regional context only

What this can & can't tell you

  • Area is approximate, derived from satellite pixels (10 m resolution), not a surveyed legal area.
  • Annual data only; changes occurring within a single year may be missed.
  • 10 m resolution may not detect small-scale disturbances like isolated dumping or small structures.
  • No ground-truth events (fires) intersect this parcel; county-level FEMA declarations provide regional context only.

The AlphaEarth Foundations Satellite Embedding dataset is produced by Google and Google DeepMind.

This report is an AI-generated interpretation of satellite-derived data. It is not a survey, appraisal, environmental assessment, or legal document, and should not be the sole basis for any purchase or land-management decision.

A parcel with persistent construction change

Tesla Gigafactory site, Travis County, Texas

~693.16 hectares (approximate, satellite-derived) · analysis window 2017–2025

Some change

This 693-hectare parcel experienced two notable change events between 2017 and 2025: a moderate change from 2018 to 2019 and a major change from 2020 to 2021. The major change in 2020-2021 is the largest detected, but no specific cause is confirmed by independent fire perimeters. The parcel has been stable since 2021.

Year-by-year timeline

PeriodChangeWhat the satellite record shows
2017-2018stableLand cover remained consistent; change magnitude (0.036) below the noise floor (0.038).
2018-2019moderateModerate change detected (magnitude 0.044), above the noise floor but below the major threshold (0.045). This could be consistent with clearing, construction, or other disturbance. How to verify this yourself: Check county building permit records for 2018-2019 or review historical aerial imagery for the period.
2019-2020stableLand cover remained stable; change magnitude (0.032) below noise floor.
2020-2021majorMajor change detected (magnitude 0.050), the largest in the record. This could be consistent with clearing, construction, fire, or other disturbance. How to verify this yourself: Check county building permit records for 2020-2021 or review historical aerial imagery for the period.
2021-2022stableLand cover remained stable; change magnitude (0.028) below noise floor.
2022-2023stableLand cover remained stable; change magnitude (0.021) below noise floor.
2023-2024stableLand cover remained stable; change magnitude (0.036) below noise floor.
2024-2025stableLand cover remained stable; change magnitude (0.030) below noise floor.
VerdictSome change
Confidence0.7
Noise floor0.0382
Major-change threshold0.045

No mapped wildfire perimeter intersects this parcel · 7 county-level FEMA declaration(s) as regional context only

What this can & can't tell you

  • Area (693.16 hectares) is approximate, derived from 10 m satellite pixels, not a surveyed boundary.
  • Annual data only; exact timing within a year cannot be determined.
  • 10 m resolution may miss small-scale changes like isolated dumping or narrow roads.
  • No independent fire perimeters intersect this parcel; causes of change are inferred, not confirmed.
  • FEMA declarations for Travis County provide regional context but are not parcel-specific evidence.

The AlphaEarth Foundations Satellite Embedding dataset is produced by Google and Google DeepMind.

This report is an AI-generated interpretation of satellite-derived data. It is not a survey, appraisal, environmental assessment, or legal document, and should not be the sole basis for any purchase or land-management decision.

How it works

You send a parcel address or APN — no account, no drawing tools. LandTrace pulls the annual satellite embeddings for that parcel, computes what physically changed year over year, and writes a plain-English report like the ones above. Every above-threshold change carries a one-line pointer to a public record a buyer can check.

01

Send the parcel address or APN.

02

The pipeline reads annual satellite embeddings and measures year-over-year change.

03

You receive a plain-English land-history report, delivered within 24 hours.

Order a report

$29 per parcel, delivered within 24 hours. The self-serve checkout is launching shortly — to order now, email the parcel address or APN and I’ll send your report and an invoice.

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100% money-back if it doesn’t tell you something you couldn’t see yourself.