Google created the models through help from ICOMOS and the archival nonprofit CyArk, and is making a point of publishing the data. "Anyone" can download CyArk's source material to use it for research or other projects, Google said. It's also helping site managers both conserve their historical treasures and present their efforts to the public.

These models won't prevent the locations from succumbing to rising sea levels or fiercer rainfall. Google is no doubt hoping they'll spur attempts to mitigate climate change, though. And if nothing else, these will ensure there's a digital record of what these historical sites looked like before they crumbled away.